LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



!]^p. djjjt^riglt J|o*. 

Shelf -..":Ei.3 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



OBACLE SERIES NO. L 



OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY 



THE mTRODUCTIOX OF THE PRIMITIVE 
GOSPEL IKTO A WESTERN TOWN, 



^ 







By R. C. barrow. 

EVANOET.IST OF THE GENERAL CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY 
CONVKNTION. 



XL! 



^■^-^j-ra-^ i 







CHRISTIAN ORACLE PUBLISHING COMPANV. 
1885. 






COPYRIGHT BY 
THE CHRISTIAN ORACLE PUBLISHING CO.* 

1885, 



TSB UBBARY 
OF CONGRMW 



IXTRODlTCTIO:Nr. 



The narrative that follows is not all a fiction. It 
is a disguised history. It is an unpretentious story, 
plainly, and in simplicity, told. The writer of it has 
had more than i quarter of a century's experience in 
preaching the primitive gospel in the State of Ne- 
braska. He knows her history, has visited nearly all 
her towns, is acquainted with her people, and next to 
his love of Christ and His pure gospel as the Apostles 
preached it, loves Nebraska and -her people. He has 
been as delighted when eating bacon and '^ potatoes 
cooked with their jackets on," in the ''dug-out" of 
some lowly, loving Disciple, as w^hen faring sumptu- 
ously at the table of some wealthy Christian. The 
necessity for so much earnest pioneer work has made 
him, to some, appear too positive in his preaching of 
truth and denunciation of error, but it is the only 
way to success, and he has learned that lesson. He 
tl:at goes into battle with sin and error with doubt 
for his shield will fail. Strong in faith and his con- 
victions of truth, Bro. Barrow has a kindly heart 



4 INTRODUCTION. 

and a charity as broad as the wide prairies of his 
adopted State. 

The plea that the people known as Disciples of 
Christ make for a restoration of the Apostolic teach- 
ing and worship, their pointing ont of the evils of 
sectarian division, pleas for union and the abolition 
of human creeds, excites at times almost as strong 
antagonism as did PauFs preaching at Ephesus. 
Where a community is divided into factions, and one 
says, I am a Methodist, another,! am a Presbyterian, 
and all the shibboleths of modern denominationalism 
are heard on every hand, let a man go into it who has 
a clear knowledge of God's w^ord and announce the 
great principle that ''faith in Jesus as the Messiah, 
and obedience to His commandments, is the only 
proper test of fellowship and bond of union among 
the Lord's people," and the revolutionary nature of 
the statement creates intense excitement. Some, 
like the Bereans, begin to search the Scriptures, and 
finding this was the case in the Apostolic age, em- 
brace it with joy, and the Bible becomes a new book 
to them. Others, like the Thessalanians, bound in 
the chains of an educated prejudice, refuse to hear 
and investigate the matter, and stir up the people by 
misrepresentations, and by an appeal to all the polit- 
ical and social prejudices of the community, to pre 
vent a hearing of the plea, and often go so far as to 



INTRODUCTION. O 

spread reports about the preacher, without stopping to 
inquire whether they are true or false. The writer of 
this has borne his full share of this evil. A man once 
made a certificate that he had seen him confined in 
an insane asylum, and that he was an escaped luna- 
tic. Fortunately in that case the lie did no harm, as 
a skeptical citizen suggested that if it enabled a man 
to preach the gospel so clearly it might be a good 
plan to send the maker of the report there, together 
mth a number of other people he might name. 

Bro. Barrow has enjoyed and suffered every phase 
of these things, some of which will be found in this 
narrative. Xo one can read them and the scenes of 
this little book without an interest and pleasure that 
will enlarge the heart and intensify his love for the 
cause of primitive Christianity. Bro. ^. B. Alley 
says of it : 

'' It is a veritable history, only disguised by names. 
Every chapter recalls some old struggle buried by 
new ones. It's every name I could translate, it's 
every scene locate, it's grave visit, it's house rebuild, 
it's sorrows share and it's joys enjoy." 

It is with pleasure that we note the fact that the 
bigotry and narrow prejudice born of sectarianism is 
rapidly passing aw^ay. The assumption of men to a 
special divine call from God to preach the gospel has 
been so modified 'that the great mass of the people are 



6 INTRODUCTIOlSr. 

learning that '' if they speak not according to the 

Word of God there is no light in them," and so a 

clear, intelligent division of the Word, so that all can 

understand it, is no longer regarded as great a heresy 

as in former times. That this little book will help 

forward that w^ork we most profoundly believe. 

We therefore send it forth on its mission, with a 

sincere desire that it may do good, and with an earnest 

wish that God may bless its author and all of his 

readers. 

D. E. Lucas. 

March 20, 1885, 



OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 



CHAPTER I. 



CHICORY AND ITS PEOPLE— POPFIZZLE, BENEDICT, 
3ms. TREWART AND OTHERS. 

Chicory, the county seat of Squeazem county, is a 
respectable village and aspires to be a city, and is in 
fact called a ''city-' in every issue of the Weekly Pre- 
varicator, the county newspaper published in Chicory. 
You can easily find Chicory on the map, as it is one 
of the principal stations on the Sky Scraper Railroad. 

It had been generally understood for several years 
that we had some '" good brethren'' there w^ho w^ere 
waiting for an auspicious time to lift up the banner 
of the Cross and establish in Chicory a church after 
the primitive model. As many Disciples outside of 
the town were interested in the matter, I made my- 
self acquainted with the personnel of the brethren who 
were to form the nucleus of the church in Chicory. 
Brother Mums word joined the church in Indiana, 
under the preaching of the popular and well known 
evangelist. Copernicus Starbuster, and had been a 
resident of Chicory six years. He held a letter from 



8 OUK CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

the home church for himself and wife, but no one in 
Chicory suspected him of being a church member, 
although a man of unexceptionable habits, until he 
had lived four years at Chicory, and then it leaked 
out through the children, and he '' owned up." 
Brother Mumsw^ord and his wife were generally re- 
spected, and w^ere regarded as good material. 

Then there were Brother Popfizzle and wife. No 
one knew^ where or when Brother Popfizzle w^as bap- 
tized, but it did not take long to learn w^here he stood, 
religiously, for much of his time was spent at the 
corner store "' arguing Scripture." He had the repu- 
tation of vanquishing all ordinary opponents, and 
had even attacked several sectarian preachers, it was 
said, and routed them, ''horse, foot and dragoon." 
His wife was a good enough home body, a faded, spir- 
itless woman ; but nothing could be said against her. 
Brother Popfizzle stood in the very fore front of the 
contemplated eifort to establish a church at Chicory. 

The only remaining male member in tow^n was 
Brother Midas Benedict, quite a young man, recently 
married, and actively and successfully engaged in 
business. I was told that he was formerly very zeal- 
ous, and at one time seriously contemplated giving 
himself to the ministry of the Word, but since his 
marriage he had rarely made mention of religious 
matters. His wife w^as said to be an estimable lady, 
though a few persons had pronounced her w^orldly, 
ambitious and selfish. She had joined the leading 
church in the town, and was a singer in the choir. 
Brother Benedict w^as devoted to his wife, and as in 
duty bound, attended her church and subscribed 
liberally to the support of her pastor. 



OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 9 

There were two brethren in the country— Brother 
Goldsteel and Brother Stanup— who, together with 
their wives, could be depended upon to co-operate 
with any well directed efiiort to build up a church in 
Chicory. 

In addition to these there were three sisters, living 
in the to vrn— Sister Floratop and Sister Trewart, 
whose husbands were not members of any church, 
and young Sister Standwell. Sister Trewart, though 
not much given to talking, was generally regarded as 
the leading spirit among the Disciples of Chicory. 
She had had several conversations with Brother 
Mumsword about the propriety of holding a meeting, 
and although he gave a ready assent to every sugges- 
tion offered, nothing was done in the matter. She 
had written to several preachers personally known to 
her, and to others known only by reputation, but as 
she was unable to promise full compensation for the 
work to be done, she received but little encourage- 
ment. After several trips to the country to consult 
Brethren Goldsteel and Stanup. she finally succeeded 
in getting all the Disciples of Chicory and vicinity to 
meet at her house and decide upon what steps, if any, 
should be taken to establish a church in — as Pop- 
fizzle expressed it— ''the future great metropolis of 
Squeazem county." He was the first to speak, and 
what he said, what was said by others, and the course 
of action finally decided upon, will be made known 
in the next chapter of these chronicles of the church 
in Chicory. 



10 OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

CHAPTER II. 

PREPARATIOKS FOR A MEETING. 

Brother Popfizzle was for action, immediate 
and vigorous action. ''Shall we," said he, "who 
have taken passage on the old ship of Zion, lie idly 
upon our oars, while modern, man-made craft are 
launched, manned and rigged in our midst and sail 
away on prosperous voyages, their sails fanned by the 
breeze of popular opinion ?" He was for a meeting 
at once. He w^as in favor of sending for Elder Metax 
to hold a meeting, and for a declaration of war 
against the sects. Midas Benedict was in doubt 
about the expediency of organizing another church 
in Chicory— there wert five already; but if the others 
favored a meeting he was willing the experiment 
should be tried, if they could secure the services of 
Elder Marmalade Panada, or some other conserva- 
tive preacher, w^ho would not abuse other denomina- 
tions. He held broader and more charitable views 
than some of his brethren, and believed there were 
good Christians in all denominations. He was on 
very friendly terms with Bev. Creedman, his wife's 
pastor, and if it was decided to have a meeting he 
would undertake to secure Bev. Creedman's church 
for the purpose. Sister Floratop expressed her ap- 
proval of Bro. Benedict's remarks, and Bro. Mums- 
word declared that ''Su'thin' ought to be done."" 
Bro. Goldsteel thought the meeting was needed for 
the benefit of the Disciples of Chicory and vicinity, 
if for no other reason, although he liad hope of the 



OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 11 

conversion of sinners. He felt himself growing luke- 
warm in the cause, and needed spiritual food. Bro. 
Stan up believed in standing by our colors, meeting or 
no meeting, but he was satisfied that it was the duty 
of the Disciples of Chicory to sustain a proiracted 
meeting and to organize and meet for worship, even 
if there was no increase of numbers. Young Sister 
Standwell thought it would be ''real nice" to have a 
meeting if it could be held in Rev. Creedman's church, 
and they could get a "real nice" preacher for the oc- 
casion, and the regular church choir would consent 
to do the singing. 

Sister Trew^art, to the surprise of all present, ex- 
pressed deep concern for her own salvation, if she 
remained longer in comparative idleness. She w^as 
but little strengthened by the spiritual food furnished 
in the religious establishments of Chicory, and was 
willing, nay, anxious, to have their teachings placed 
in contrast with the teaching of the Word of God 
before the people. She had observed that only about 
one- fourth of the adult population of the town w^ere 
habitual attendants of any church, and the propor- 
tion of children gathered into all of the Sunday- 
'schools was even less. She was anxious for a meet- 
ing, was willing to work and pray for success, and 
deny herself some of the comforts of life to enable 
her to meet her portion of the expense. 

It w^as decided to have a meeting. Some w^ere in 
favor of renting a hall for the purpose, but finally the 
matter of securing a suitable room w^as put wholly 
into the hands of Bro. Benedict, who, as previously 
stated, was confident of his ability to secure the use 
of the Rev. Creedman's house. Then there w^as the 



12 OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

preacher question to be decided upon. Who should 
be chosen to present our plea for the first time to the 
people of Chicory? Bro. Popfizzle was loud in his 
demand for Elder Metax. Mumsword thought an 
effort should be made to get Elder Starbuster. Sister 
Eloratop thought that the church in the city of Cross- 
bug, her former home, would allow their pastor. 
Elder Chesterfield, to hold them a meeting. Sister 
Standwell didn't care who he was, only insisting that 
it should be some '' real nice'' preacher. Midas Ben- 
edict favored Elder Panada. Brethren Goldsteel and 
Stanup and their wi^es and Sister Trewart would be 
satisfied with any preacher of fair ability, and in good 
repute, who would faithfully declare the wl^ole coun- 
sel of God. Sister Popfizzle, who had not expressed 
her views upon any subject that had come before the 
meeting, ventured to suggest that they should get a 
preacher who did not '^ feel himself above common 
folks." But as no one paid any attention to what she 
said, she renewed her attentions to the fretful child 
that had claimed her undivided attention during all 
the evening. 

It was finally agreed to leave this matter also in the 
hands of Bro. Benedict, who the next day opened a 
correspondence with Elder Marmalade Panada. The 
Elder consented to come, Bev. Creedman's church 
was engaged, the appointment was duly published in 
the Prevaricator, and on the day appointed Elder 
Panada alighted from an S. & S. train. Brethren 
Popfizzle and Benedict met him at the depot — the 
former greeting him boisterously, and whispering in 
his ear, ''Be sure and skin the sects." 

The Elder was taken to the comfortable home of 



OUK CAtTSE AT CHICORY. 13 

Bro. Benedict, where he took tea and rested until it 
was time to go to the church. 



CHAPTEE III. 



ELDER PANADA YISITS CHICORY— RETS. FOGG AND 
CREED3IAN. 

An audience respectable in numbers, intelligence 
and social standing assembled in Rev. C. eedman's 
church. Bro. Popfizzle occupied a front seat. His 
wife was compelled to remain at home to care for the 
children. Goldsteel and Stanup and their wives and 
Sister Trewart sat well forward. Midas Benedict, 
Mrs. rioratop and her very particular friend Mrs. 
Teatherly, and Miss Standwell formed a group near 
the middle of the room. Mrs. Benedict sat in the 
choir. It was generally observed that the Rev. Fogg 
was present, occupying the pew nearest the door. 
Rev. Creedman had been invited to tea at Bro. Bene- 
dict's, where he had made the acquaintance of Elder 
Panada, and they entered the room together. Rev. 
Eoffg and Elder Panada were introduced by Rev. 
Creedman, and after a few minutes of pleasant con- 
versation, during which it w^as arranged that Rev. 
Fogg should take a minor part in the services, the 
Rev. Creedman politely led the way to the pulpit. 
The choir sang a grand anthem, which so delighted 
Mrs. Standwell that she for a moment forgot the pro- 
prieties, and whispered to Mrs. Floratop that it was 
''real nice." 



14 OUll CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

xVfter reading the olst Psalm, E-ev. Fogg offered 
prayer. He prayed for the preacher of the evening, 
and the branch of the church with which he v as 
identified ; then for all other branches. He gave the 
Lord a skeleton of the sermon he desired the speaker 
to preach — a sermon of sentimentalism and gush that 
would not interfere with the growth of any of the 
branches— and closed by asking for a baptism of the 
Holy Ghost. 

Elder Panada arose ! Preachers generally do arise 
when about to deliver a discourse, but there was a 
special significance in the action on this occasion, as 
it was the first introduction of a '' Christian preacher" 
to a Chicory audience. The text was John i., 1. The 
speaker, after expressing his pleasure in being per- 
mitted to address the intelligent audience before him, 
entered upon an exordium in which he declared that 
''beyond all doubt or question the Deity, in some 
subtle and inconceivable sense, pervades the entire 
universe of God. He is in every rolling wave that 
rushes shoreward upon the bosom of the mighty deep, 
in every dewdrop that bespangles the morning rose, 
in the calyx of every bright flower that lifts its pure 
face to drink the dews of heaven, in the dark crest of 
the summer storm-cloud, in the gleaming lightning, 
and heaven's volleying thunders. He is borne upon 
the waving breeze that fans our cheek, and rushes 
onward upon the wings of the desolating tornado. 
His hand forges the icy fetters that bind the laughing 
brooklets, hushing their cl*»mor in chilhng silence, 
while he spreads o'er the dead earth the pure white 
mantle of winter. In bhizing sun, luna pale, rushii g 
comet, gleaming star, flashing meteor, fleecy cloud, 



OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 



15 



and gorgeous rainbow arch, painted upon the black 
canvas of the heavens, the presence of the Deity is 
felt and acknowledged." 

Popfizzle's face was ''a studj" for an artist." 
Mouth and eyes were distended, and a ridiculous ex- 
pression of mingled astonishment and doubt of occu- 
pying the right pew spread itself over his usually 




ELDER MARMALADE PANADA. 



expressionless countenance. Goldsteel looked anx- 
ious and expectant, and Stanup glanced furtively 
over the audience. Mrs. Trewart's face wore a hun- 
gry, unsatisfied expression. The central group was 



16 OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

evidently delighted, and it was clear that Miss Stand- 
well repressed her inclination to w^hisper her appre- 
ciation to Mrs. Floratop with great difficulty. 

The speaker proved by logical arguments and inev- 
itable deductions that the Logos w^as coeval with the 
Intinite Being, and not an emanation from duality at 
some conceivable period, as held by some. His pero- 
ration w^as even more eloquent than his exordium, 
and the most indifferent mind reader could have sat- 
isfied himself by a glance at Mumsword that Eider 
Starbuster w^as, in his estimation, eclipsed by the 
speaker of the evening. 

The subject announced for the following evening 
w^as : ''The goodness and wisdom of God, as shown 
in the construction of a bird's wing."* 

After pinching himself to see if he w^as aw^ake, 
Popfizzle walked home in silence. He w-as missed at 
the corner store the next morning. He w^as having a 
conversation with Mumsw'ord, if it can be called a 
conversation where one does all the talking. He was 
more than dissatisfied with the preaching ; he w-as 
indignant. ''I^ot a wT)rd against the sects in the 
whole sermon ! Why, Elder Metax never preached a 
discourse vvithout raking the piratical sectarian hulks 
fore and aft with broadsides of solid grape, canister 
and shells." (Popfizzle had evidently been a sailor.) 
Midas Benedict told Sisters Floratop and Standw^elh 
who called at his place of business, that his reverend 
friends Creed man and Fogg w^ere pleased with the 
discourse of the evening before, but expressed fears 



* Copied verbatim from Oraaliajdailies as a theme in one of 
the churches. 



OtJR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 17 

that the preacher did not fully come out, and that he 
would preach "water salvation" before the meetings 
closed. 

]Sro expression was heard from the remaining Dis- 
ciples of Chicory, and the meetings were continued 
from night to night. 



CHAPTER IV. 

RESULTS AND OPIKIOKS OF THE MEETING. 

AL3IOST every one who attended the meetings at 
Bev. Creedman's church spoke in praise of the new 
preacher, yet strangely enough the audience did not 
increase, although Midas Benedict had induced sev- 
eral of his business friends to attend occasionally, 
and Mrs. Floratop had brought her very particular 
friend, Mrs. Featherly, every evening save one, when 
she was obliged to attend the regular weekly dance of 
the. club of which she Vv as a member. Young Sister 
Stand well, too, had done her duty towards the micet- 
ings by bringing her friend. Miss Gossamer, except- 
ing, of course, ball and concert nights, and one 
evening when she had promised to be one of a skating 
party at th^ rink. Bro. Popiizzle behaved badly, and 
it must have been his fault that there was so little 
Interest in the meetings. He not only ceased to at- 
tend, but denounced the preacher at his old quarters, 
the corner store. ''Might just as well try to sink a 
seventy-four-gun ship, or an iron-clad monitor, with 
a bunch of tire-crackers, as to try to convert the sects 



IS OrU CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

and sinners of Chicory with such hifalutiu, no-gospel 
preaching." This was his verdict. He unhesita- 
tingly declared that the preacher tacked, veered and 
yawed to catch every cat's-paw of wind from every 
quarter, and cared nothing for chart or compass. 

Eeverends Creedman and Fogg gave countenance 
to the meetings by their presence, prayers, and num- 
berless expressions of good wishes and sympathy, yet 
it became apparent to all that the meetings must be 
brought to a close without any definite results favor- 
able to our cause at Chicory. There were ''surface 
indications of protracted and interesting interviews 
between some of the leading Disciples of Chicory 
about this time, but only this much became public : 
A conversation took place between Midas Benedict 
and Mrs. Trewart. and immediately afterwards the 
former had an interview with Elder Panada, and the 
same night it was announced that the meetings 
would close on the following night. In bidding tlie 
'•good people of Chicory'' farewell, the Elder publicly 
expressed his high appreciation of the kindness and 
courtesy shown him. both in public and private, 
during the progress of the meetings. He felt grate- 
ful for the use of Kev. Creedman's elegant chapel, 
and for the fraternal feeling exhibited by Brethren 
Creedman and Fogg, whom he had come to regard as 
co-laborers and true yoke fellows in a common cause. 
He also thanked the choir for the grand, soul-stirriug 
music with which the audiences bad been favored, 
and closed by expressing the belief that much good 
seed had been sown, from which a glorious liarvest 
would ultimately be reaped. 

The Disciples of Chicory had arranged to compen- 



OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 19 

sate the Elder for his services, but Rev. Creedman, 
in the exuberance of his fraternal feelings, called for 
a public collection for his benefit, meeting with quite 
a liberal response. The next morning, with a heavy 
purse, and, let us hope, with a light heart, made so 
by the consciousness of having done his duty, Elder 
Panada took his departure by an S. & S. train. 

Popfizzle spent the last night of the meeting at the 
corner store, and started for his house about the time 
the congregation was dismissed at the church, and 
would naturally come in contact with some of the 
church people on their way home. Eeverends Creed- 
man and Fogg, he avers, came out from a cross street, 
and walked several blocks just in advance of him, 
engaged in earnest conversation, a part of which he 
was compelled (?) to hear. 

''Yes, Brother Fogg,'' remarked Rev. Creedman, 
as reported by Popfizzle, '' I certainly did run some 
risk in the matter, but it would not have been pru- 
dent to refuse Benedict's request, in view of his po- 
sition in society and the relation he sustains to our 
church, and from what I had heard of Panada I felt 
confident of my ability to ' brother' him out of his 
convictions, if he ever had any, and keep him from 
thrusting in our faces the passages of Scripture gen- 
erarlly relied upon by Campbellites to prove their doc- 
trine. My plan has worked admirably, even better 
than I expected, and I am truly grateful to you, 
Brother Fogg, for your valuable assistance in the 
management of this delicate matter " 

''You are heartily welcome. Brother Creedman, to 
any service I have been able to render you, but allow 
me to ask what course vou would have taken if vou 



20 OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

had failed to manage him, and he had actually quoted 
or read to your people the language of the Apostle 
Peter on the day of Pentecost : ' Repent and be bap- 
tized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, 
for the remission of sins'?" 

"Well, Brother Fogg, I had provided for such an 
emergency. A prudent General, you know, always 
makes provision for possible defeat. I had told my 
people that Rev. Stormer w^ould aid us in a series of 
meetings as soon as his numerous calls would permit, 
and I had arranged with him, in case Panada proved 
refractory, to come on and begin his work with us at 
once. I had decided upon this course, or even more 
radical measures, rather than have my people hear 
Campbellite doctrine, for I may say to you, Brother 
Fogg, confidentially, that the Scriptures, taken liter- 
ally, and without the necessary explanations, seem to 
strongly favor their heretical views." 

''I have long been aw^are of that fact. Brother 
Creedman, and I must say you have shown consum- 
mate generalship. You have kept the good will of 
Benedict, and the public generally. The Campbell- 
ites have had their meeting, and met with total fail- 
ure, and they will not soon, if ever, make a second 
attempt to gain a footing in Chicory. It has been 
most admirably managed. Good night, Brother 
Creedman." 

'' Good night. Brother Fogg." 

With all his faults and eccentricities, Popfizzle had 
never been known to be guilty of willful, downright 
falsehood, but of course there was some mistake in 
this matter. He was excited and nervous over the 
meeting, and although he no doubt really imagined 



OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 21 

he heard the foregoing conversation, it was very 
likelj^ only a part of a troubled dream. 



CHAPTER Y. 

MRS. TREWART STARTS A CHURCH. 

No ONE seemed to know when, how, where or with 
whom it originated, but within a week from the close 
of the meetings at He v. Creedman's church it was 
rumored in Chicory that Mrs. Trewart had organized 
a church at her own house I Some said she had con- 
verted her husband and several others to her faith, 
and that they were to be baptized at some time, by 
some one, in the little river that flowed past the town. 
Rev. Creedman spoke to Bro. Fogg about it when 
they met at the post olhce, and expressed it as his 
belief that that woman was capable of anything 
looking to the establishment of a Campbeilite church 
in Chicory. All his efforts to induce her to ''find a 
home'' in his church, at least until her branch had a 
congregation organized, had proved fruitless. He 
had observed, too, that when she sat under his preach- 
ing her face sometimes wore an exasperating expres- 
sion of dissent from his teaching, and there was an 
air of assurance and self-confidence about her that 
made him uneasy in her presence. He had called on 
her several times, and though she had treated him 
courteously, she had an aggravating habit of quoting 
the Scriptures to him in such Si way as to make his 



22 OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

teaching appear to conflict with it. He did not know 
how much truth there was in the rumor that she had 
started a church, but from what he knew of her he 
was prepared to believe that she was at the bottom 
of a religious movement of some sort that threatened 
the peace of the orthodox churches of Chicory. 

If Eev. Creedman had frankly asked any of the 
Disciples of Chicory to give him the facts in the case, 
he would have learned that Mrs. Trewart had invited 
them all to meet at her house one night in each week 
for the study of the Scriptures, prayer, and religious 
and social conversation. Only six persons were pres- 
ent at the first meeting, Goldsteel and Stanup and 
their wives, Mrs. Trewart and her little daughter, 
Grace, eleven years old, her only child. Mr. Trew^art 
came in tow^ards the close of the interview, and took 
part in the conversation ; and when Goldsteel prayed, 
just before the little company broke up, he kneeled 
reverently by his wife's side. These meetings were 
kept up, with an increasing attendance and interest. 
Popfizzle came to the second meeting, and at the re- 
quest of Mr.. Trewart, remained at home with the 
children while his wife attended the next week. The 
meetings seemed to do her a world of good. A new^ 
light came into her eyes; the weary, hopeless look 
disappeared, and an expression of peace and joy came 
into her face. The change was so apparent that Pop- 
fizzle began to make playful remarks about her 
returning beauty, which made the poor, weak, foolish 
woman happier than ever, and she made his home so 
pleasant and attractive that he almost entirely for- 
sook the corner store. Mumsword and his wife were 
soon coming regularly to the meetings, but Midas 



OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 23 

Benedict, Mrs. Floratop and Miss Stand well refused 
to attend or to be in any way identified with this un- 
precedented religious movement in Chicory. Bro. 
Stanup's amiable and intelligent daughters, Mary 
and Martha, became regular attendants, and little 
Grace Trewart began to manifest an intense interest 
in the meetings. Mr. Trewart began to exhibit a 
quiet interest by closing his office and coming home 
earlier than usual on the nights when the meetings 
were held. Mrs. Trewart often prayed in these meet- 
ings. There was something peculiar about Mrs. 
Trewart's prayers. Popfizzle told his wife that when 
Mrs. Trewart was praying God seemed so near to him 
that he did not dare to think of anything wrong. He 
began, to the unbounded astonishment of his chil- 
dren, and the great gratification of his wife, to give 
thanks at his table. The children improved in health 
and disposition, and Popfizzle and wife were soon 
able to attend the meetings together. 

''The Stanup girls and little Grace Trewavt joined 
Mrs. Trewart's church last night, and are to be bap- 
tized to-day by Farmer Goldsteel!'' This was the 
startling rumor spread by the busy tongue of Madam 
Humor one morning, about three months after the 
beginning of the meetings at Mrs. Trewart's house, 
and for once the loquacious lady was very near the 
truth. The girls really were to be immersed at nine 
o'clock, and by Goldsteel, upon whose head holier 
hands than those of mother, wife and child had never 
been laid ! The meeting the night before had been 
one of unusual interest. The skirls had confessed 
Christ and demanded baptism, and all present had 
shed tears of joy. Even Popfizzle confessed, in 



24 OUK CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

speaking of the matter the next day, that he had 
'''blubbered like a \Yhale!'' He sometimes got his 
nautical metaphors badly mixed. All passages of 
Scripture supposed to have any bearing upon the 
subject of the qualifications of a baptist had been 
carefully examined, and the conclusion reached by 
all, including Mr. Trewart, was that Goldsteel had as 
much authority to baptize as any one. Eev. Creed- 
man was heard to say— bnt really, if I attempt to re- 
cord all that every one said there never will be an 
end to these faithfnl chronicles of the church at 
Chicory. 



CHAPTEE YI. 



GKEAT EXCITE31ENT AT CHICORY OVER A PROPOSED 

BAPTIS3I. 

Chicory was excited, and it was not yet the third 
hour of the day I The arrival of the first train over 
the Sky Scraper Railroad ; the location of the county 
seat of Squeazem comity at Chicory, after three hotly 
contested elections ; the great speech of the honora- 
ble Senator Bumfoozle ; the advent of the behemoth- 
ian centuple circus, consisting of one hundred shows 
combined in one, nnder a single canvas; and the 
lynching of Duval Darke for the murder of old Po- 
mona Peeler, the apple woman, were important and 
exciting events in the annals of Chicory. But in 
comparison with the event abont to transpire, they 



OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 25 

were as an Indian summer zephyr compared with an 
adult healthy western cyclone ! From center to cir- 
cumference Chicory ^^s excited, almost gone clean 
daft. Por the first time the placid waters of the little 
river were to be disturbed by a "baptism by immer- 
sion," and those who did not feel able to walk to the 
river were rushing to the livery stables to engage 
carriages. 

Mr. Trewart reached his office that morning at pre- 
cisely twenty-six minutes past seven o'clock— it is 
just as well to be accurate in these details— and at 
half past seven thirteen men and eight women had 
asked him when and where the baptism would take 
place, and in each instance twenty-seven boys had 
grouped themselves to hear his answer. Popfizzle's 
house was besieged by crowds seeking definite and 
reliable information. At a quarter of eight Eevs. 
Creedman and Fogg met at the post office and had a 
hurried private conversation. Both seemed to be 
laboring under unusual excitement. At fifteen min- 
utes past eiglit Eev. Fogg rang the door bell of Mr. 
Trew^art's house, and while he is waiting for someone 
to answer the bell I will improve the time by stating 
that in this instance, at least, he had been ''called 
and sent"— by Rev. Creedman. When a boy, Eev. 
Fogg had read of a certain cat that had been brought 
into exceedingly unpleasant relations with some 
roasting chestnuts, at the instance of a prudent mon- 
key, but this was long ago, and the interesting and 
suggestive story did not occur to him that morning 
as he stojd upon the portico of Mr. Trewart 's resi- 
dence, awaiting an answer to his ring. 

The Eev. Creedman left the post office and walked 



26 OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

rapidly up the main street of the town. He stopped 
a moment in front of the banking house of Benedict, 
B} ers & Co., which was not yet opened for business, 
consulted his watch, and pressed on to the residence 
of the senior member of the firm. A few minutes 
later Midas Benedict called at Mr. Trewart's office 
and hurriedly informed him that he had just learned 
that, rather than have the cause of religion brought 
into disrepute in Chicory by having the ordinance of 
baptism administered by a layman, Kev. Fogg had 
expressed his willingness to baptize his daughter and 
the Stanup girls. He insisted that his own reputa- 
tion as a minister of the Christian Church was in 
some degree involved in the matter, and expressed 
the hope that Mr. Trewart would insist that his 
daughter should be baptized by an ordained clergy- 
man. Mr. Trewart replied that so far as he was con- 
cerned he was quite willing that Bev. Fogg should do 
the baptizing if it was agreeable to all the parties in- 
terested, but he was willing tO trust his wife's judg- 
ment in the matter, and declined to interfere with 
the proceedings in any w^ay. 

When Rev. Fogg was ushered into the parlor and 
found himself in the presence of Mrs. Trewart, it oc- 
curred to him, for the first time, that he had under- 
taken a very delicate mission, and he was painfully 
embarrassed. He had taken no thought as to what 
he should say, and Mrs. Trewart's bearing and ex- 
pectant expression indicated a desire to be made 
acquainted, at once, with the object of his visit. 

*' Mrs. Trewart," he began, in a shaky, apologetic 
voice, ''I trust when you have learned the purpose 
for which I have called upon you at this unseasonable 



OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 27 

liour, that you will believe me to be prompted by a 
sincere regard for yourself and family, and a deep 
and unselfish interest in the cause of religion." 

'' I have no disposition to question your motives, 
Mr. Fogg." 

''I hear that your interesting ^daughter, Grace, is 
to be baptized this morning, by Farmer Goldsteel." 

''Your information is correct, sir.-' 

" 1 did not know that he had ever taken orders." 

''He has taken the highest and holiest orders 
possible to men, by becoming a child of God." 

"Have you no doubts of the validity of a baptism 
administered by a layman ?" 

"i^one whatever." 

" Have you fully reflected upon the evil results that 
may accrue to yourself and family, and to the cause 
of religion, from such an unprecedented procedure ?" 

"I think lean easily find approved precedents in 
the Scriptures for what we are about to do, and [ 
have no fear that evil results will grow out of obedi- 
ence to Christ." 

" Then it seems my ofiices are not desired. I called 
at the earnest solicitation of some of your friends, to 
offer my services in administering the rite of bap- 
tism. I have no objection whatever to immersion. 
Our branch of the church, as you know, I presume, 
allows candidates for baptism a choice of modes." 

" Yes, I know that those wh > escape your hands in 
infancy are given a choice of modes. But you de- 
prive as many as you possibly can of any choice in 
the matter by sprinkling upon them in infancy. I 
thank you, Mr. Fogg, for your desire to be of service 
to us, but we will not need your assistance." 



28 OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

It was less than three blocks to the Fogg parsonage, 
yet before the good man had accomplished half the 
distance he happened to recall the long forgotten 
story of the prudent monkey using the cat's paw to 
pull the chestnuts from the hre. And as he involun- 
tarily mentally pictured the scene, the face of the 
monkey, oddly enough, grew into a singular and gro- 
tesque resemblance to the face of his friend, Bev. 
Creedman. 



CHAPTER yil. 



THE BAPTISM, AND INCIDENTS CONNECTED THERE- 
WITH—A SLIPPERY LOG — WHAT W^AS SAID BY MRS. 
CREEDMAN AND OTHERS. 

Ding dong, ding dong, ding dong. It was the 
second bell for school. A few children were straying 
across the common in the direction of the public 
school building, walking as though their feet were 
made of lead, and gazing longingly towards the river, 
where a great crowd had already assembled. There 
were frequent halts, consultations and desertions 
from the ranks, and bnt few of the reluctant column, 
very few, reached the doors of the school building on 
that memorable morning. Nearly all were added to 
the vast throng assembled on the bank of the river to 
witness, for the first time at Chicory, a ''baptism by 
immersion." Many were there who had never wit- 
nessed an immersion, and excitement ran high. 



OtJR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 29 

From the point selected for the immersion, indicated 
by the little group of Disciples and the candidates 
for baptism, the crowd stretched up and down the 
river bank. Several boys were perched in the tops of 
trees. A detachment of young men and boys, failing 
to secure a satisfactory point of observation, went 
up to the bridge, crossed the river, and came down 
on the other side to a point opposite the center of the 
great crowd. On that side there was a sharp out- 
ward curve of the river bank, spanned by a huge Cot- 
tonwood log, denuded of bark. About a dozen young 
men established themselves on this ''skinned log,'- 
as one of them called it, which took the fancy, just at 
the wrong time, to turn over, presumably tired of 
lying so long on one side, precipitating them into 
some ten feet of chilling aqua pura ! A great shout 
of mirthful derision arose from the dry crowd on the 
other side as the crestfallen youths scrambled up the 
river bank, with chattering teeth and dripping gar- 
ments, and ran with all their might up the road lead- 
ing to the town. A sewing machine agent who 
crossed their trail a few minutes after they had 
passed, wondered why the street-sprinkler had been 
used outside of the corporation. 

Revs. Creedman and Fogg had remained at home, 
refusing to witness the ''sacrilegious performance." 
Mrs. Creedman was present, accompanied by her 
little daughter and a pet spaniel that had been taught 
a variety of interesting and amusing tricks. She 
stationed herself some thirty yards above the place 
selected for the immersion, and v/hile the people 
waited she added to the interest of the occasion by 
throwing small sticks into the water and sending the 



30 OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

spaniel after them. The wicked people were mostly 
grave and respectful, while a majority of the church 
people were more or less disorderly. Those who had 
been ''baptized with the Holy Ghost" behaved the 
worst. 

O happy day that fixed my choice 
On thee, my Savior and my God, 

sang the little band of Disciples, and many voices 
joined in the song — the voices of wicked people. The 
church members of Chicory seemed to be suffering 
from severe colds. 

Goldsteel prayed : and as his earnest petition went 
up to the throne of God the great congregation was 
awed into complete silence. Even those who had 
''experienced complete sanctification" ceased to 
chatter and sneer ! In making this last statement I 
am fully conscious of the extent to which I am taxing 
the credulity of my readers, but I have decided that 
no weak fears of losing my reputation for veracity 
shall deter me from recording the above phenomenal 
fact. 

Goldsteel and Grace Trewart separated themselves 
from the crowd and stepped into the water. Grace 
was robed in spotless white. Her face was lustrous 
with the strength and purity of her convictions, and 
many who looked upon her were deeply and strangely 
moved, some even to tears. 

" What are they going to do, mamma ?" asked Mrs. 
Creedman's little girl. 

" That wicked, naughty man is going to duck that 
girl in the water and almost drown her;" and then 



OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 31 

aside, to a friend: " I almost wish he would drown 
iier!'' 

'• But what are they going to do that for, mamma ?" 

''Because they are bad, wicked people, my dear. 
My darling will never do such a naughty thing, will 
she?-' 

''^N'o, mamma; but why do the people let them do 
such naughty things?" 

" I can't tell you so that you will understand now, 
darling;" and then aside, to her friend: "I declare, 
the child is more sensible than grown people. There 
ought to be a law to prevent such indecent perform- 
ances." 

What a wonder that Mrs. Creedman should take so 
much pains to witness an ''indecent performance"! 

Goldsteel lifted his hand and reverently pronounced 
the awful and adorable names of Father, Son and 
Holy Spirit, and Grace was gently lowered into the 
water. For one single moment she was shut out from 
the world and was alone with her Savior; then arose 
with a shining face and a happy smile. 

Popfizzle told his wife tliat night that if he ever 
reached the port of heaven and saw the angels, he be- 
lieved they would look as Grace Trewart looked when 
she arose from the grave of water. And then, after 
a pause, he added : " Some of them will be certain to 
look like you, too, sis." 

The woman blushed, kissed the baby, and looked 
happy. Sister Popfizzle was a very foolish w^oman. 

Grace was received by her mother with a loving 
kiss and tears of joy. She was tenderly and carefully 
wrapped and borne to the waiting carriage in her 
father's arms. 



32 OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

Mary and Martha Stanup were reverently and dec- 
orously buried with Christ, and tenderly and tear- 
fully congratulated by those who had preceded them 
into the kingdom. A short and impressive prayer 
followed, and the great congregation streamed back 
to the town. All the great and astonishing events of 
Chicory history were eclipsed by the events of the 
day. But the effect on Chicory society was quite dif- 
ferent from what most people supposed it would be. 
Many were deeply and favorably impressed, and out- 
side of the circle made up of "entirely sanctified" 
persons, and those who had been '* baptized by the 
Holy Ghost," there were but few who spoke lightly 
or disrespectfully of the proceedings. A few resolved 
to read the Bible to see if it really required people to 
be '' put all over under water," and it is known that 
Bro. Mixem, of Eev. Creedman's church, read the 
Psalms of David that very night, until midnight, 
with that object in view. 



CHAPTEB VIII. 
^:ldeii sterling visits chicory and begiks a 

MEETING. 

The next issue of the Prevaricator contained two 
paragraphs relating to the interests of our cause at 
Chicory. One, from the pen editorial, was as fol- 
lows : 

"An immense crowd assembled at the river on 



OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 38 

Thursday morning to witness a baptism by immer- 
sion, a decidedly sensational novelty at Chicory. 
Three persons who imagine that heaven is an island 
started by water for that happy abode. ^^ 

The other, evidently communicated, was found, 
after a protracted search, sandwiched between pay 
locals, and read as foUow^s : 

" Elder Powns Sterling, of Bedrockville, will preach 
at BondswelPs Hall this (Saturday) evening at seven 
o'clock. Also to-morrow (Sunday) at 11 a. m. and 7 
p. M. Elder Sterling is a member of the Church of 
Christ. Seats free, and all are invited.^' 

Mrs. Trewart, before her marriage, was baptized 
by Elder Sterling. She had been in correspondence 
with him for some time, and it was through her in- 
strumentality that he had been invited to aid the 
Disciples of Chicory in a meeting. He w^as a man of 
unblemished character, fair education, and implicit 
and unfaltering faith in the Word of God. Some 
thought him narrow and illiberal in his views, yet no 
one had ever heard him utter an unkind word of any 
church, sect or class in any of his discourses. Elder 
Panada and some other preachers of decidedly con- 
servative tendencies objected to his radical teaching, 
insisting that he '' cut off the eai^ of the people" and 
drove them away from us. But for some reason the 
people, minus ''e\rs.'' I suppose, obeyed the gospel 
under his preach iner, while those who listened to 
Elder Panada kept their ''ears" and all their belong- 
ings outside of the kingdom of God. Elder Panada 



34 



OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 



gave a slightly reluctant assent to to the teaching of 
Elder Sterling and his class, but he did not believe it 
necessary to preach faith, repentance and baptism 
for the remission of sins, now, although it might 
have done fifty years ago, in the beginning of the 
reformation. 




ELDER POWNS STERLING. 

A small audience assembled atBondswelPs Hall org 
Saturday night. Kevs. Creedman and Fogg came io 
late and took the seats nearest the door. " Corona- 
tion." one of the grand old songs that are ever new,^ 
was sung. This was followed by the reading of the 
first chapter of Hebrews, a short, earnest prayer, an- 
other familiar song, and the preacher began his dis- 



OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 35 

course. Nearly all present except Mrs. Trewartwere 
disappointed. Elder Sterling did not ''preach" at 
all ; he only talked. He talked of the scheme of re- 
demption that originated in God's infinite love ; its 
gradual unfolding through the revelations of proph- 
ets and John the harbinger, until at last God spake 
to us by his Son. He talked of Jesus in his humanity, 
baptized by John, tempted of the devil, weeping at 
the grave of Lazarus, and speaking tender, loving 
words to the sorrowing and sinful. He talked of 
Jesus and his divinity, as he opened the eyes of the 
blind, stilled the stormy sea with a W'Ord, and called 
Lazarus back from the dominions of hades. When 
he talked of the crucifixion nearly all present shed 
tears. He passed from the cross to the sepulchre, 
and from thence to the great commission : '' Go ye 
into all the w^orld and preach the gospel to every 
creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be 
saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." 
This the speaker pronounced ''the first, last and only 
offer of salvation ever made to the entire human 
family." He then talked of the first meeting held 
under that commission; the descent of the Holy 
Spirit ; Peter's discourse ; the cry of the heart-pierced 
multitude, " What shall we do ?" and the answ^er of 
the Apostle, " Repent and be baptized every one of 
you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of 
sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." 
He called especial attention to the statement that 
when thus instructed, many "gladly received the 
word" and "w^ere baptized," and expressed the hope 
that many in Chicory w^ould be like minded. 
" Kightly Dividing the Word" and "Christian 



86 OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

Union" were announced as themes for Lord's day, 
and the congregation was dismissed. 

Popfizzle was no eaves-dropper, but he could not be 
expected to go out of his way, or slacken his pace, 
simply to avoid hearing the conversation of the two 
men walking from the meeting in front of him. 
Their right to the sidewalk was equal, and if the par- 
ties in front saw fit to talk it was no part of his duty 
to attempt to silence them, especially as they were 
grave and reverend clergj-men. 

"Well, Brother Creedman," said Eev. Fogg, "I 
don't think you will be able to 'brother' that man 
out of his convictions." 

"I shall not attempt it; I shall take a different 
course with him." 

'' What course do you intend to pursue ?" 

'' Well, I will enlighten you. In the first place, as 
soon as I saw the announcement of this meeting in 
the Prevaricator, I virote to the Rev. Stormer to come 
on as soon as possible and begin a meeting in our 
house, and I expect him to arrive within three or 
four days. In the meantime I will encourage our 
young people to get up a series of entertainments 
that will keep them away from the Campbellite meet- 
ing. I will to-morrow insist that every member of 
my church be present at our prayer service on Thurs- 
day night, by which time Brother Stormer will prob- 
ably arrive, but if not, we will have a prayer meeting 
every night till he comes." 

"Your arrangements are no doubt the best that 
could be made under the circumstances, but I fear 
we will not be able to control all of our people. Sev- 
eral members af your church, and two or three of my 



OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 37 

people, were at the meeting to-night, and T noticed 
that they seemed interested. I am especially sorry 
that Brother Seakit was there. He is one of our 
probationers, and has been seeking the pardon of his 
sins for more than a year, and 1 saw that he was in- 
clined to accept the watery gospel, instead of seeking 
further for the evidence of his acceptance with God. 
When the speaker quoted that famous Campbellite 
verse from the first of Acts, Seakit made a note of 
some kind on an envelope he took from his pocket, 
and I am quite sure he put down chapter and verse. 
If his attention is called to that chapter he will be 
likely to read it with especial reference to his own 
case, and he will be very likely to fall into the Camp- 
bellite heresy of baptism for the remission of sins." 

'• I advise you to see him to-morrow, Brother Fogg, 
and as many others as possible. We must warn the 
people against this Campbellite heresy. We must 
tell them the Campbellites deny the Divinity of 
Christ, the operation of the Holy Spirit, do not be- 
lieve in prayer, and preach that all who are not im- 
mersed will be lost. I advise you also to start a 
meeting in your church and keep your people at 
home, or join with us in a series of union services." 

•'For the present I will attend your meetings and 
endeavor to persuade my people to do the same. 
Good night, Brother Creed man." 

'' Good night. Brother Fogg." 

Popfizzle told his wife that night that there were 
*' breakers ahead." He pronounced the new preacher 
a ''staunch craft" and ''aU oak," but gave it as his 
opinion that he did not carry enough sail for the lati- 
tude of Chicory. 



38 OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

Sister Popfizzle liked the new preacher very much. 
When her child fretted for a few minutes during the 
service, he did not look at her with an awful, rebuking 
frown, as other preachers had done, and he shook 
hands with her, and noticed the baby after meeting. 
I think I have once or twice before remarked that 
Sister Popfizzle was a very foolish woman. 



CHAPTEE IX, 



ELDER STERLING PREACHES SERMONS OK ''DIVID- 



ING THE WORD' 



71 



Quite a large audience greeted Elder Sterling at 
Bondswell's Hall on Sunday morning. Several mem- 
bers of the other churches were present, including 
Bro. Seat^it, of Eev. Fogg's fold, Bro. Mixem, of Kev. 
Creedman's flock, who had just finished reading the 
Psalms of David in a vain search for light in regard 
to the ancient mode of baptism. He had resolved to 
read the book of Job next, shrewdly presuming that 
patient worthy, in view of his physical and mental 
condition, would be as likely to be baptized as any- 
body. 

The subject, as announced, was '• Kightly Dividing 
the Word," and Bro. Mixem and many others were 
astonished to hear that the Old Testament alone, 
read, believed and obeyed to the letter, made no one 
a Christian, but a Jew. The speaker showed that the 



OtJR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 39 

entire Old Testament, including the ten command- 
ments, ceased to be in force, as law, at the death of 
Christ, and that such portions of it as God desired to 
continue in force were incorporated with the new 
dispensation, which began on the day of Pentecost, 
at Jerusalem. The four introductory books of the 
Kew Testament, usually called the Gospels, tell us 
what to believe; the book of Acts how to become 
Christians ; and the Epistles how to live as Christians. 
To nine- tenths of the audience this was an entirely 
new revelation. Bro. Mixem mentally abandoned 
the idea of reading Job for information on the sub- 
ject of baptism. Bro. Seakit, who had carefully read 
the entire book of Acts after going home from the 
meeting the night before, came forward and de- 
manded baptism upon his confession of faith in 
Christ. After making the confession he asked the 
privilege of making a few remarks in explanation of 
his course. Permission being granted, he spoke as 
follows : 

''I have been a believer in the Christian religion 
from childhood, and a little more than a year ago I 
resolved to seek the pardon of my sins in prayer. I 
have prayed every day, and many times a day, ever 
since, but have received no assurance that God has 
accepted me. I have been tortured with doubts and 
fears, and at times have been almost ready to sink 
under my heavy burden of anxiety. Sometimes I 
have had flashes of joyful emotion, but I have never 
been able to determine just what feelings were to be 
accepted as the evidence of pardon. Last night I 
read the book of Acts entirely through with especial 
reference to such cases as mine, but found no similar 



40 OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY, 

case. Instead of heart-sick, hope-deferred seekers 
and mourners I found where thousands gladly received 
the Word and became Christians at once, and I have 
resolved to become a Christian in the same way. I 
now feel, for the first time in my life, that I can fully 
rely upon the gracious promise of forgiveness found 
in the Word of God, and I wish to be buried in bap- 
tism, at once, that my new life in Christ may begin 
to-day." 

Elder Sterling explained that baptism confers no 
future blessings. Jesus graciously promises believing 
penitents the remission of sins in baptism, but future 
blessings are dependent upon future obedience ; and 
only those whose lives are pure and prayerful, and 
who make their sanctified hearts a suitable guest- 
chamber for the Holy Spirit, will ever enjoy eternal 
salvation. 

The congregation at once proceeded to the river, 
where Bro. Seakit put on Christ. He arose from the 
grave of water praising God and filled with unspeak- 
able joy that the long, dark night of fear, doubt and 
suspense was ended, and that he had stepped into the 
glorious light and liberty enjoyed by the children of 
God. 

At night the hall was crowded, and many were 
deeply impressed by the discourse on "' Christian 
Union. ■' The speaker read the Lord's prayer recorded 
in John xvii., calling especial attention to verses 20 
and 21. Jesus did not contemplate a believing world 
with a divided following. '' That they all may be one: 
, . . THAT the world may believe that thou hast sent 
me." The devil is a skillful general. Like Kapoleon. 
he divides his opponents that he may conquer them 



OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 41 

in detail. Various objections to organic union were 
noticed : 

1. ''The union is invisible and already exists." 
Impossible, for the world was to see it, and be influ- 
enced by it to believe in Jesus. 

2. "• It is fortunate that we have diiferent churches, 
so that all may be suited." But all are not suited, 
and will not be, even if you supply your churches 
with dancing and billiard halls. But even if it were 
possible to suit all, can we be certain that God would 
''be suited"? 

3. "A united church would be a persecuting body." 
Whom would it persecute ? A man is never a perse- 
cutor until he becomes a partisan. Let us unite on 
the only creed believed by all— the Bible. But you 
say, " we cannot all see the Bible alike." Our differ- 
ences do not grow out of our inability to see the Bible 
alike. It is only when we supplement the inspired 
word with our speculations, inferences and interpo- 
lations that our differences appear. Take, for exam- 
ple, the declaration of Paul in Komans v., 1, "being 
justified by faith." We all see this passage alike till 
you add to it the word "only," and then we differ, 
not about w^hat really is in the inspired book, but 
about what is not in it. In the matter of names, let 
us unite upon the non-partisan, catholic names used 
by New Testament writers. Jesus called the church 
"my church." Let us honor him by calling it his 
church, the Church of Christ, and its members simply 
Christians. There is one baptism, immersion, that 
is not in controversy. All the discussions that have 
taken plact upon the subject have been about effu- 
sion. Let us unite upon the baptism admitted by all 



42 OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

to be right. This is a brief and very imperfect syn- 
opsis of Elder Sterling's talk upon the subject of 
Christian Union. 

Mr. Trewart and Bro. Mixem came forward and 
confessed Christ. Mrs. Trewart's eyes became foun- 
tains of happy tears, and her heart was filled with un- 
speakable joy and gratitude to God. For more than 
twelve years she had prayed daily for the conversion 
of her husband, and as the years wore on her prayer 
had become a cry to Grod that would take no denial. 
Oh ! sweetest joy of earth ; joy shared by the angels 
of heaven, when love-kissed lips confess the Savior! 

If all the pleasures of all the spheres 
Were multiplied by countless years, 

could the sum total exceed the joy we feel when our 
dear ones confess Christ? Grace wept softly upon 
her mother's breast, and many eyes were wet with 
tears. Mrs. Trewart had talked with her husband 
but little about religious matters, but her pure and 
Christ-like life had been an earnest, continued and 
irresistible appeal to his better nature — a living and 
ever present example of the refining and ennobling 
influence of the religion of Christ. Sooner or later, a 
faithful Christian wife almost invariably wins her 
husband to her side on her heavenward journey. 

It was announced that the immersion would take 
place at nine o'clock on the following morning, and 
the congregation was dismissed. A large part of the 
population of Chicory spent some time next morning 
in the discussion of religious matters. Groups of 
men formed in many places, and many animated dis- 
cussions took place. Several took the sword of the 



OTTR CATTSE AT CHICORY. 43 

Spirit from their pockets to prove their positions, 
and there were many inquiries for Bibles at stores 
and offices. Many startling and extravagant state- 
ments were made in regard to the teaching and prac- 
tice of the "Camphellites." Bev. Creedman had 
been heard to say that they believed in a ''water 
salvation;" and Rev. Fogg had stated that he had 
personally known of several cases where persons had 
died from immersion! He had been reliably in- 
formed that a certain doctor of the Blue Grass State, 
who took a fancy to be married and baptized on the 
same day, had been swept by the current from the 
hands of the administrator, and drowned in the 
presence of the horrified spectators ! 

Popfizzle told his mfe, with a merry twinkle in his 
eye that belied his words, that he thought the Ken- 
tucky doctor a fortunate fellow to ''walk the plank" 
on his wedding day, just in the very " nick of time." 
"Sis" boxed his ears, in playful, wifely fashion, 
made amends with a kiss, put the baby on his lap, 
looked in the glass, smoothed her hair, and fixed her 
collar. She was such a foolish creature. 



44 OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 



Kj 



HAPTER X. 



CHARACTERS AND INCIDENTS— WHAT REV. PROD- 
DEM didn't say— dr. BRIGHT AND HIS DAUGHTER 
—A MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT. 

The Eev. Prodde3i was heard to say— but I had 
forgotten that he has not been introduced to my 
readers. It will be remembered that there were five 
churches in Chicory, and, of course, five clergymen : 
Eevs. Creedman and Fogg, with whom my readers 
are already well acquainted; and Eevs. Proddem, 
Spookhunter and Aldark. Fogg and Aldark played 
Sancho Panza to the Don Quixote of Creedman and 
Spookhunter in charging upon the windmills of 
Satan, but Proddem was an Ishmaelite. His hand 
was against all the other clergymen of the ''city." 
Some one has said that there are three classes of 
people, religiously : Saints, Sinners, and the Beecher 
family; and although there were five churches in 
Chicory, they could be classified, from a purely busi- 
ness standpoint, as the religious firms of Creedman & 
Fogg, Spookhunter & Aldark, and— Proddem ; just 
simply and severely Proddem. without any Co ! The 
jealousy, envy, rivalry and hatred existing among 
these three firms had disturbed Chicory society for 
years, and it was generally believed that nothing 
short of a miracle would establish amicable relations 
among them. Elder Powns Sterling claimed no mi- 
raculous power. Tie believed and taught that while 
human beings, animals, fishes, trees and churches 



OUR CAtJSE AT CHICORY. 45 

were brought into existence and their organization 
perfected by miraculous power; that, when perfected, 
each had within itself the means of its own repro 
duction and perpetuation. And yet Elder Sterling 
had unconsciously wrought a miracle, or if not a 
miracle, a '' greater work" 1 He had united the war- 
ring religious factions of Chicory ! Even Proddem, 
or to give his full name and title, the Rev. Ego Prod- 
dem, had stooped to an alliance, offensive and defen- 
sive, with his fellow clergymen of Chicory ! At last 
the "" orthodox" churches of Chicory were a unit— in 
their opposition to the meetings at Bonds well's Hall 
—each reserving the right to resume hostilities 
against the others as soon as the common enemy was 
driven from the field. 

The Rev. Proddem was heard to say— but really 
there are some other matters that must take prece- 
dence of the sage, oracular utterances of the pugna- 
cious, pugilistic, peppery, pungent preacher Proddem. 
A singular occurrence, although not wholly without 
precedent, took place at the baptism that morning. 
When Elder Sterling came out of the water, after 
immersing Mr. Trewart and Bro. Mixem, Miss 
Honore Bright, daughter of Dr. Galen Bright, the 
leading physician of Chicory, approached him and 
asked: ''What hinders me to be baptized?" At 
first, those who heard this startling, unexpected 
question thought it was intended as a jest or to ridi- 
cule the ordinance of immersion, but then Miss 
Bright was not given to either jesting or ridicule. 
She was of an independent and somewhat masculine 
turn, due no doubt to her training in the medical 
college, from which she had just graduated. Dr. 



46 OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

Bright, who bad no son, had carefully educated and 
trained Honore to follow his ow^n profession. The 
young men were a little afraid of her, and predicted 
that she would die an old maid. She was certainly 
remarkably well qualified to care for herself, and 
showed no disposition to play ivy to any masculine 
oak. Elder Sterling, to whom Miss Bright was a 
stranger, hesitated, uncertain as to the spirit in 
which the question was asked, when it was repeated 
in a manner that admitted of no doubt of her entire 
sincerity: ''Here is water; what hinders me to be 
baptized?" 

''If thou believest with all thy heart thoumayest," 
replied Elder Sterling. 

"I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God,'' 
answered Honore, removing her hat and extending 
her hand. 

And they went down both into the w^ater, and he 
baptized her, and when they were come up out of the 
water the crowd dispersed, wondering at the marvel- 
ous things that w^ere done in Chicory. 

Before midday every bulletin board and dead w^all 
in Chicory were covered with posters, size of the 
largest chase in the Prevaricator office, announcing a 
great musical entertainment at the Eev. Creedman's 
church that evening. The great baritone, Taurus 
Bashan, who had just completed a grand continental 
tour, and the Misses Earthlark and Dayingale, had 
consented to appear as stars, supported by the best 
musical talent of Chicory. Groups of little girls 
were canvassing the town, selling tickets and inviting 
every one to attend. All the female members of all 
the " orthodox'' churches were out calling that after- 



OTJR CAUSE AT CHICORi^ 47 

noon, and all were talking of the musical feast in 
prospect. Chicory had gone music mad. Even 
grave and reverend clergymen, five of them, were 
working in the interest of the entertainment. 

The Rev^ Proddem was heard to say — but I must 
first notice the part played by Midas Benedict . in the 
exciting drama put upon the boards in Chicory, He 
did not attend the meetings in BondswelFs Hall, al- 
though he probably would have done so, at least part 
of the time, but for the influence of his wife. As he 
was, or at least had been, a member of the Church of 
Christ, he was held in some degree responsible for 
the teaching of Elder Sterling, and his friend Creed- 
man and scores of other church members over- 
whelmed him with compliments. In his heart he 
knew that Elder Sterling was teaching nothing but 
the truth; knew that his teaching was maliciously 
misrepresented and caricatured; knew that he did 
not, as charged, ''abuse other denominations," or 
utter any one of the thousand absurd, foolish and 
unkind things attributed to him ; but he lacked the 
manliness to say so, and, take it altogether, he was 
about the most unhappy man in Chicory. He was a 
man of discernment, and understood perfectly the 
animus of the opposition to the Bondswell Hall meet-, 
ings, and the reasons for the musical 'mania that had 
overtaken his wife and so many other church mem- 
bers of Chicory, and at times his better nature 
threatened to break out in open revolt. 

Those who had been baptized by Elder Sterling, 
notably Brethren Seakit and Mixem, soon found that 
the climate of Chicory had undergone a wonderful 
change, and that the sight of their former religious 



48 OVn CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

friends had suddenly failed ! Whenever they came in 
contact with their former religious associates the 
social mercury dropped suddenly to zero, or acute 
strabismus, probably, prevented recognition. Even 
good Bro. Fogg, who a short time before had boasted 
of his ability co read without glasses, at the age of 
fifty-six, met and passed his former parishioner, Bro. 
Seakit, with and for whom he had so often prayed, a 
dozen times without recognizing him ! There was a 
fine opening for an oculist at Chicory. 

Eev. Proddem said— but this chapter is long enough, 
and I have digressed so far that 1 am not certain that 
I now remember just w^hat he did say. 



CHAPTER XI. 



WHAT PROBDEM, SPOOKHUKTER AKD ALB ARK SAID 
—ELDER STERLING VISITS MIDAS BENEDICT AND 
HAS A CONSULTATIOH. 

The Rev. Ego Probbem was heard to say that a 
thief, burglar or highway robber might have some 
redeeming qualities to commend him to the respect, 
or at least to the sympathy, of his fellow men. but a 
preacher who would ''proselyte" members of other 
denominations had reached the lowest depth of 
human depravity and placed himself outside the pale 
of either respect or sympathy. So you see the Rev. 
Proddem really did say something, and I thought I 



OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 49 

should, in time, be able to recall it. The Eev. Ego 
had forgotten that every one of the five preachers of 
Chicory had been trying for several years to ''prose- 
lyte'' the Disciples— offering them '" a home^' in their 
respective churches, even while holding the views 
they now so bitterly denounced and derided. A witty 
Englishman who has been hunting tigers in the East 
Indies says : '' It is royal sport to hunt the tiger, but 
when the tiger takes a fancy to hunt you, it has its 
drawbacks.^' 

The Rev. Spookhunter said the Campbeilite church 
had a creed, a human creed, and offered to produce it 
as soon as he could send off East after it. It was 
written by Alexander Campbell, and he had seen it 
and read it. It affirmed that vre are saved by baptism 
alone, and that all who are not immersed are classed 
with idiots and pagans. He had ordered five copies 
of the work, and begged the patience of the people 
until they arrived, when Campbellism would be fully 
exposed. He had also ordered several copies of a 
celebrated expose of Campbellism, written by the Rev. 
Battle Elagg, of the Emetic State. 

The Rev. Creedman said the shelves of his library 
groaned beneath the weight of Greek lexicons that 
gave sprinkle as one of the meanings of baptizo ! 

Rev. Aldark had heard that Elder Sterling was a 
Southern man, and he thought it highly probable that 
he, or some of his relatives, had been in the rebel 
army, or at least had been in sympathy with the re- 
bellion, some twenty years before. In less than ten 
minutes after the suggestion was offered. Elder Ster- 
lin.o' was an ex-Confederate soldier, directly in the 
line of promotion. His promotion was rapid, and 



50 OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

within two hours he had been a Corporal, Captain 
and Brigadier General of the Confederate hosts ! An 
honr later he had been reduced to the ranks, and 
again fought his way up to the position of a guerilla 
leader in the border States ! Then he was appointed 
Governor of the military prison at Andersonville ! 
Alas ! poor Wirz ! O Justice ! what crimes are com- 
mitted in thy name ! And yet Elder Sterling was 
never in the army, and never shot a gun but once, 
and that was at a tame duck, and the duck died— of 
old age. 

After banking hours Midas Benedict called upon 
Elder Sterling, at Mrs. Trewart's, and invited him to 
tea. His object was a praiseworthy one. He did not 
enjoy the storm raised by the meeting at Bondswell's 
Hall, and he hoped to be able to convince Elder Ster- 
ling of the propriety of pursuing a more conciliatory 
course toward the '' other denominations" of Chicory. 
Mrs. Benedict received the Elder with rather scant 
courtesy, probably on account of her all-absorbing 
interest in the approaching musical entertaiment (?), 
but her manner was fairly respectful, and there was 
really nothing to complain of, only the atmosphere 
was a little chilly in the sitting room. Eeally the fire 
was very low, in fact almost out, and when Mrs. Ben- 
edict left the room it was presumably to order more 
coal. The Benedict residence was a fine mansion, 
one of the very best in the town, but there was some- 
thing wrong with the doors; or at least with one 
door, the one by which Mrs. Benedict made her exit 
from the sitting room. It had an unpleasant habit 
of slamming. Elder Sterling mentally decided that 
if he was the owner of the house, although being only 



OUR CAUSE AT CHICOHY. 



51 



a preacher he could never hope to possess such a 
grand mansion, he would have that door reduced to 
subjection if it took all the carpenters, painters, 
locksmiths and upholsterers of Chicory and Grossbug 
combined to do it. I have noticed these refractory 
and obstinate doors in many houses. They seem to 
defy the skill of both architect and carpenter. There 
must be a class of door demons that infest certain 
dwellings. Elder Sterling had observed that every 
door in Mr. Trevv^art's house shut softly and gently, 




GRACE TREWART. 



with a sound as soothing aud as sweet as that of a 
mother's kiss. And he had failed to detect the pres- 
ence of door demoDS at Popfizzle's house, a poor, 
Cheap structure, v/here he had called on Sunday eve- 
ning, just before meeting. That they had formerly 



52 OTm CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

infested the premises could not be denied. They 
used to lie in wait for poor Popfizzle when he came 
from the corner store, but they had been exorcised 
and driven out of the place soon after the meetings 
began at Mr. Trewart's house : but neither Popfizzle 
nor his wife knew just how it had been done. Can 
any one furnish a reliable recipe for the extirpation 
or banishment of this disagreeable class of genii ? 

The conversation between Mr. Benedict and Elder 
Sterling lasted until they were summoned to tea. 
Mr. Benedict insisted on a more conservative course, 
and greater liberality in conducting the meetings at 
BondswelPs Hall. " When Bro. Panada was preach- 
ing here," said Mr. Benedict, ''he had the sympathy, 
good will and co-operation of all our preachers, ex- 
cept Proddem, who never would work with any one, 
and our meetings closed with the very best and kind- 
est feelings between all of our churches ; but in three 
days \our meeting has aroused the entire religious 
element of the city to the most intense opposition." 

''You forget that Brethren Seakit and Mixem are 
still friendly." 

"Well, yes, of course, since you baptized them; 
and I suppose Creedman and Fogg are displeased at 
the loss of their members ; but I think it would be 
better for the meeting if you were more liberal in 
your teaching." 

"Did Bro. Panada baptize any one into Christ 
during his meeting?" 

" Well, no ; but there was the best of good feeling." 

" Was there one more soul in Chicory in the King- 
dom of Christ when the meetings closed than when 
they began ?" 



OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 53 

*^ Well, I suppose not ; but there was no opposition, 
and — all were friendly to us." 

'' Would you wish the present meeting to be con- 
ducted in the same way, and close with the same 
results V" 

''Well, of course I would like to see sinners con- 
verted and our cause established at Chicory; but 
could not this be done, and at the same time greater 
liberality be shown toward other churches ?" 

'' In what respect do you think me illiberal ?" 

''People infer from your teaching that you think 
you are right and all others wrong, which gives great 
offense." 

" Would you have me admit that my teaching is 
wrong ?" 

"Of course not; but you might admit that those 
who differ from you are right, as well as yourself." 

" Would you have me admit that the Bible teaches 
that both Calvinism and Arminianism are right? 
Shall I tell the people that both those who practice 
infant baptism, and those who refuse to practice it, 
and protest against it, are right ?" 

"No, of course not; but you might preach the 
truth and say nothing about controverted subjects, 
and keep the good will of the other churches." 

" That is, if I were a farmer you would counsel me 
to cultivate my corn without disturbing the y\^eeds. 
The truth is, every man thinks he is right and all 
others wrong upon the points where they differ, and 
to make any other pretense is sheer hypocrisy. Do 
you think it right to plead for the union of all Chris- 
tians?" 

"Yes, certainly; if all were united the strife and 



54 OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

partisan feeling now existing in Chicory would be 
impossible." 

''Is it right to oppose the union of all Christians, 
and to cultivate and encourage division V" 

'' Certainly not ; but the trouble is, you are under- 
stood to require all to come to your position, as the 
proper basis of union." 

'' 1 am sorry to be so understood. I ask no one to 
come to me, but I endeavor to show Christians the 
necessity of uniting upon the things in which they 
are already agreed, that they may labor together for 
the salvation of the world." 

Tea announced. 



CHAPTEE XII. 



TEMPERANCE AND RELIGIOUS QUESTIONS— CAIN'S 
W^IFE AND HEARTFELT RELIGION. 

The musical entertainment was a recherche affair. 
I don't know precisely what recherche means, but that 
is what Mrs. Benedict called it, and it must have 
been that, whatever it is. The stars acquitted them- 
selves to the entire satisfaction of the audience, and 
were frequently encored. Eev. Creedman announced, 
at the close, that another entertainment would be 
given on the following night, with an entire change 
of program, and that Miss Hise Quealer would be 
added to the already brilliant galaxy of musical stars. 



OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 55 

He was also authorized to announce a grand union 
temperance meeting for Wednesday night, and ex- 
pressed the confident belief that every true temper- 
ance man and woman of Chicory w^ould be present. 
The tw^o greatest temperance orators of the age, John 
Beef, Inch and John St. Saltpeter, had been tele- 
graphed for to address the meeting. On Thursday 
night there would be a union prayer meeting of all 
the churches in the city, and on Friday night the 
great and well-known evangelist, Bev. Stormer, 
would begin a series of meetings. 

Quite a number who had no ear for music attended 
the meeting at Bonds weirs Hall on Monday evening, 
but the audience was not so large, and there were no 
confessions. On Tuesday evening the attendance 
was better, and on Wednesday evening there was a 
marked increase, presumably sots and the enemies of 
temperance, for it had been announced, and was gen- 
erally understood, that every true friend of temper- 
ance would attend the great union meeting at Eev. 
Creedman's church. The two great temperance ora- 
tors billed for the occasion failed to put in their 
appearance, and Popfizzle said that the telegraph 
operator informed him that no dispatch had been 
sent them. There was a mistake somewhere. Per- 
haps the dispatch was sent from Grossbug, Myth- 
ville, Inahorn, or some other station; but at all 
events there were only home speakers at the meeting. 
Eev. Proddem said, publicly, that the meeting was a 
crucial test of the temperance principles of the citi- 
zens of Chicory and vicinity, and that all who were 
not present, unless they were prevented from coming 
by sickness, or by pressing and important business, 



56 OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

should hereafter be classed with the enemies of tem- 
perance. At Bed rock ville, the home of Elder Ster- 
ling, there were no saloons. All had been closed 
imder a local option law, and the Elder had been 
chiefly instrumental in the matter; but in Chicory 
he found himself classed with the friends of the rum 
power, and it was even intimated, by Eev. Aldark, 
that his florid complexion did not indicate strictly 
temperate habits! And within three hours Elder 
Sterling had been dismissed from the Confederate 
service for drunkenness, and had suffered three sev- 
eral attacks of delirium tremens ! 

The questions nightly laid upon the speaker's 
stand, and the answers of Elder Sterling, became 
quite an interesting feature of the meetings at Bond- 
swelFs Hall, r'ome of these questions were quaint, 
curious and unique. I will give a few samples : 

''Eev. Sterling: Does not the absence of baptism 
from the Ten Commandments prove that God did not 
intend to make submission to that ordinance indis- 
pensable to his favor ? A. Poser." 

'' Mr. Poser is informed that baptism was not insti- 
tuted until some fifteen hundred years after the law 
was given. It is not a moral requirement, and our 
obligation to obey it grows solely out of our obliga- 
tion to Christ. Abraham was not baptized, but his 
willingness to take the life of his son at the command 
of God clearly indicates that he would have been if 
God had commanded it." 



OUK CAUSE AT CHICORY. 57 

'' Eev. stuiiin 

hoo wus Kanes Wife ? 

LunKed." 



u 



We are not informed. Mr. Ked has evidently 
been misled by the word 'knew.' Mrs. Cain was 
probably betrothed, or married in infancy, or when 
very yonng, and accompanied her hnsband to the 
land of Xod, whei"e, having attained a suitable age, 
she assumed the relation of a wife." 

''Eev. Powns Sterling: If the thief on the cross 
was saved without baptism, cannot I be saved in the 
same way? 1. Diot." 

''Mr. Diot assumes that the thief was not baptized 
by John the Baptist, or the disciples of Jesus; but 
granting the assumption, I see not how he can be 
saved as he was, for at least four reasons : (1) He is 
probably not a thief; (2) is not on the cross; (3) Jesus 
is not present, in person, to speak to him; (4) he is 
living under the new dispensation, while the thief 
was saved under the old dispensation, by special 
enactment of Jesus, who had power on earth, from 
the Father, to forgive sins. I do not know that there 
was any command resting upon any one to be bap- 
tized at the time of the crucifixion, or that there had 
been for several years. Forty days after the cruci- 
fixion, the risen Savior declared that all power in 
heaven and earth was given to him, and commanded 
his disciples to go and teach and baptize. I see not 
how the thief could be expected to obey a command 
before it was given, or why Mr. Diot, or any one else, 



58 OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

should wish to be saved like a thief, rather than like 
an honest man." 

'' Rev. > Sterling: Do you claim that there are no 
Christians outside of your communion ? 

I. Ketchum." 

''It will be sufficient answer to Mr. Ketchum's 
query to state that we readily receive into our com- 
munion immersed believers, of good standing, from 
all the religious bodies around us. This of course w^e 
could not do if we did not recognize them as Chris- 
tians. We expect them, however, when they unite 
with us, to abandon ail party peculiarities ar>d retain 
only their Christianity." 

''Mr. Sterling— Sir : 
Do Camelites beleve in jenewine hart felt Eeligen ? 

A. S. Howter." 

'' I am unable to answer Mr. Howter's question, as 
I do not know what he may mean by ' heartfelt reli- 
gion.' If there are any Campbellites present they 
have my permission to answer the question if they 
can. I can speak for myself and my brethren. We 
believe that sinners must be converted; boru again; 
become new creatures in Christ Jesus : but whether 
we believe in iieartfelt religion or not, as understood 
by Mr. Howter, I do not know." 

Elder Sterling found a model preacher's home at 
Mr. Tre wart's. He was not persecuted with atten- 
tions, and the family did not make themselves and 
their guest miserable by efforts to anticipate his 



OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 59 

wants. He was left to read, study and wTite in 
peace, and the members of the family w^ent about 
their business without apologies, just as though 
there was not a preacher in the world. Elder Ster- 
ling w^as busy from fifteen to eighteen hours every 
day, visiting, studying, reading and writing, and very 
often the hours devoted to sleep w^ere involuntarily 
spent in perplexing thought and earnest prayer for 
the salvation of souls. 



CHAPTEE XIII. 



RET. STORMER — RELIGIOUS BIGOTRY — POPFIZZLE'S 
VIEW OF AFFAIRS. 

The union prayer meeting at the Kev. Creedman's 
church on Thursday night was well attended, and the 
services were unusually interesting. Many claimed 
that they received a ''fresh baptism of the Holy 
Ghost," and all seemed filled with a new and won- 
derful zeal for the cause of Christ at Chicory. The 
prayers were unusually long, loud and vehement. 
Every petitioner prayed for all the branches of the 
church, and, possibly with some mental reservation, 
for the success of every effort put forth to save per- 
ishing sinners. Very earnest speeches were made by 
Revs. Proddem, Creedman, Spookhunter, Fogg and 
Aldark. The first named speaker w^as so thoroughly 
under the influence of the Holy Spirit, and so com- 
pletely inspired with fervid devotional feelings, that 
he expressed the utmost contempt for all mere exter- 



60 OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

7ial rites, forms and ceremonies. ''Away/' he cried 
in a burst of burning heaven-born (?) entliusiasm, 
•'with water baptism, and the whole system of water 
salvation ; all I w^ant is a baptism of the Holy 
Ghost." It was a union prayer meeting and of 
course no one expressed a denominational or secta- 
rian sentiment. ISTothing w^as taught but evangeli- 
cal, orthodox doctrine— the abstract operation of the 
Holy Spirit in conversion and sanctification. The 
people holding meetings at Bondsw^elFs Hall w^ere 
supposed to be the only ones who ever spoke against 
the views of other churches, or taught any doctrine 
not accepted by all professed Christians. 

Three persons confessed Christ at the hall meeting 
on Thursday night and seven on Friday night, and 
from this time on there w^ere confessions almost 
every night. The people became accustomed to im- 
mersion, and but few^ idle curiosity seekers gathered 
at the river to witness the burials. 

On Eriday Eev. Storm er arrived and began a meet- 
ing in Kev. Creedman's church, supported by the 
entire ministerial force of the city. Chicory was 
becoming almost too religions. Midas Benedict 
refused to attend either meeting. Mrs. Floratop and 
Miss Standw^ell became regular attendants at Eev. 
Creedman'S church, and W'hen a standing vote w^as 
taken upon the question of going to heaven, they 
were among the first to rise. They were interested 
and amused by the mourners'-bench exercises, and 
Mrs. Standwell declared that it was " real nice" to 
see the helpers pound the mourners on their backs. 
What a hard time the Apostles must have had on the 
day of Pentecost ! To properly and piously ponnd 



OtJB CAIJSE AT CHICORY. 



61 



three thousand people between their shoulder blades 
in a single day is no light task. Whac a prodigious 
amount of pounding I But then the Apostles were 
fishermen; their hands were hardened by toil, and 
they probably suffered but little from this pious exer- 
cise. 1 am inclined to think that the entire one hun- 




IVnSS HONORE BRIGHT. 

dred and twenty disciples present took part in the 
pounding process, or it could not have been accom- 
plished in a single day. 

The next issue of the Prevaricator contained a three 
column article, written by Kev. Creedman, entitled 
"Religious Bigotry!" It was written in Aminadab 
Sleek style, but it was easy to see that the Eev. 



62 OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

Creedman's pen was dipped in gall. He claimed that 
while Elder Sterling preached union, his practice was 
to create division. There were already five churches 
in Chicory, and Elder Sterling would probably organ- 
ize a sixth. This w^as ''union with a vengeance!" 
''All of the five churches in the city are living in 
peace and harmony (?) with each other, and all are 
now" co-operating in a union meeting for mutual 
benefit." (Fact.) "If Elder Sterling really desires 
union, why does not he, and his brethren, unite with 
us in our union effort, instead of promoting division 
by holding opposition meetings at BondswelPs Hall ? 
Our church doors are open to them, and they are 
freely invited to come and participate in the services, 
provided they introduce no disturbing elements into the 
meeting. Of course we could not permit controverted 
subjects, such as the mode, design and subjects of 
baptism, to be discussed in a union meeting. To do 
so would be to destroy all peace and harmony among 
us, and turn our meetings into debating societies; 
but all evangelical and orthodox doctrines can be 
fully and freely taught in our meetings. ^ An organic 
union of Christians is neither practicable or desira 
ble. The varioas denominations, as they now exist, 
supply each other's deficiencies, and form a grand 
and effective aggregation for the conversion of the 
world. It might be well to start a few additional 
denominations to meet the wants of certain classes 
w4io are not entirely in sympathy with any of the 
existing denominations, but the cry for visible, 
organic union is a cheat, a sham and a fraud." 

Popfizzle read the article to his wife after going 
home from the meeting that night. 



OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 63 

''Well, I declare that sounds quite reasonable," 
commented Mrs. P. '' What do you think of it, Pop ?" 

He paid no attention to the question, but began to 
sing : 

" Will you walk into my parlor?" 

Said the spider to the fly; 
" I've as pretty a little parlor 

As ev " 

''Why don't you stop singing and answer my ques- 
tion, sir?" 

"Be patient, Sis; I was answering it as fast as I 
could when you interrupted me. Pact is, the 
churches of Chicory have always quarreled like sail- 
ors and marines, and they have only patched up a 
temporary peace in opposition to our meeting. You 
just wait, Sis, till they come to divide the spoils they 
are now gathering in at the mourners' bench, and 
you'll see the fur fly. One don't need any spy-glass 
to make out Creedm'an's signals— flag at half-mast, 
signals of distress flying, and guns " 

"Don't talk gibberish, Pop, dear." 

"I won't. Sis. Creedman invites us to attend the 
union meetings, provided we will come bucked and 
gagged, and solemnly pledged to conceal the truth, 
and help them mislead the people. That's the kind 
of a hairpin " 

"Don't talk slang. Pop, dear; it's wicked." 

"I won't, Sis; but if he is in favor of starting 
churches, as he says, 'to meet the wants of certain 
classes not in sympathy with any of the existing 
denominations,' why does he oppose us in doing just 
what he says ought to be done ?" 



{.U 



OUR CAITSK AT CHICORY 




POPFIZZLE AROUIlsrG SCRIPTtJRie. 



OUB CAUSE AT CHICOKY. 65 

^'Why, to be sure, Pop, dear; I didn't think of 
that." 

'' Oh, it is easy to see through Creedman, Kow we 
are not in sympathy with any of the denominations. 
Nothing but the Church of Christ— the Church of the 
Kew Testament— will ' meet our wants,' as Creedman 
says, and yet he wrote this article, and is working 
day and night to prevent us from starting that 
church in Chicory." 

''So he is. I w^onder that Editor Weathervane 
printed his piece." 

''Weil, I don'to You see he thinks he has to pan- 
der " 

"^ever mind now, Pop, dear: won't you hold the 
baby a little wliile ?" 



CHAPTER XIV. 



THE CONVERSION OF DR. BRIGHT — HIS REASONS 
FOR HIS COURSE— MRS. ERIGHT'S OIj.IERSION. 

Give me the hands of Briareus, each armed with a 
pen, the eyes of Argus, and as many ears as he had 
eyes, and convert the ocean into ink, if I am expected 
to record all that was said and done in Chicory during 
the next three weeks. Both meetings were in full 
blast. There were confessions almost every night at 
Bonds welFs Hall, and at the union meetings the 
mourners' bench was crowded with seekers and 
mourners. Tliose who were led by imaginary spirit- 
ual impressions, dreams, fancies and marvelous ex- 



66 OUK CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

perienees gravitated naturally to the union meetings, 
while those who searched the Scriptures for informa- 
tion just as naturally found their way to BondswelPs 
Hall. One impressible lady who was deeply inter- 
ested in the union meetings affirmed that the Lord 
spoke to her in an inaudible voice, in the Hebrew 
tongue, telling her it was a grievous sin to attend the 
Campbellite meetings, and imparting the additional 
information that sins were forgiven without baptism. 
As the lady had no acquaintance with the Hebrew 
tongue, and only a very limited knowledge of the 
English language, this was justly regarded as a 
remarkable occurrence. 

The air was thick with charges, counter charges, 
quotations from the Scriptures, experiences, ghosts, 
angels, demons, sneers, opprobrious epithets and 
nicknames. En%>assant: A nickname is a very con- 
venient, and in the estimation of some persons an ex- 
cellent, substitute for an argument. I have observed 
that boys (and it is said that men are only boys of 
larger growth), failing in argument, almost invaria- 
bly resort to nicknames. And the boy who is so for- 
tunate as to be able to coin a particularly offensive 
and crushing nickname for his opponent is usually 
crowned victor in the wordy fray. Individuals, 
churches and societies, political and otherwise, are 
frequently placed liors du combat^ in the estimation of 
many, by a happy, significant, stinging, odious nick- 
name. I have often noticed that people of very lim- 
ited information, and dense ignorance of the Scrip- 
tures, if blessed with good lungs (and such people 
generally do have good lungs), can say '' Campbellite'^ 



OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 67 

and ''water dog" in the most emphatic, impressive 
and telling manner. 

Dr. Galen Bright was one of the converts at the 
hall meetings. His confession, in view^ of his habits, 
position in society, and the fact that he had generally 
been regarded as a skeptic, created a profound sen- 
sation. The next morning after he made the good 
confession, before the hour appointed for his immer- 
sion, Eev. Fogg, after counseling with Eev. Creed- 
man, called at his office. After the usual greetings, 
and meaningless comments on the condition of the 
weather, the reverend visitor remarked that God had 
recently become very gi'acious toward the people of 
Chicory. 

The doctor agreed with him that God w^as gracious, 
but could not admit that he had recently become so. 
He believed that God w^as just as. gracious at one 
time as another. 

''Why," said Eev. Fogg, "you will surely admit 
that God is now granting us unusual manifestations 
of his gracious goodness. In our meetings many 
precious souls have been made to rejoice in the for- 
giveness of sins, and we have had abundant evidence 
that God is on the giving hand." 

"I cannot admit," said the doctor, "that God is 
subject to the changing moods you seem to ascribe to 
him, or that he is a respecter of persons, granting 
special blessings to favored sinners, and, as you 
sometimes sing, passing others by. I understand that 
pardon is offered to the entire human family upon 
precisely the same terms, and that all who will, atone 
time as well as another, may comply with the condi- 



68 OUR CAUSE AT CHICOKY. 

tions offei'ed and claim the great and precious prom- 
ise of forgiveness.^' 

'' But you will certainly acknowledge that there has 
been a special outpouring of the Holy Ghost during 
the precious revivals now in progress. Many in our 
meetings have testified that they have been baptized 
with the Holy Ghost." 

'' I have been taught to believe that the Holy Ghost 
is a person, and if so, of course he cannot be literally 
poured out, nor can any one be literally baptized with 
him. The Apostles were said to be baptized with the 
Holy Spirit— figuratively, of course, just as persons 
are immersed with sorrow, debt, study, grief or busi- 
ness — when they were made mediums by which the 
Holy Spirit spoke, even, vv'hen necessary, in languages 
never learned by the Apostles.'" 

" But what then will you do with the testimony of 
credible witnesses who claim that they have been 
baptized with the Holy Ghost ?" 

"" Until they are able to speak in languages they 
have never learned, I must be allowed to believe that 
they are laboring under a misapprehension of what 
constitutes a baptism of the Holy Spirit. '^ 

''If you please. Doctor, we will not discuss this 
question farther at the present time. I am rejoiced 
to hear that yoa professed conversion at the hall 
meeting last night.'' 

•' I made a public confession of my faith in Christ, 
and intend this morning to pat him on in baptism, 
and hereafter, with God's help, live a Christian life.'" 

'' I am truly glad to hear you express these senti- 
ments, but, pardon me for asking the question, do 
you not think you could do all this in one of tlie es- 



OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 69 

tablislied churches of Chicory ? I will be frank with 
you. Doctor; you will suffer in your reputation and 
in your practice by associating yourself with the 
people now holding meetings at Bonds well's Hall. 
Xow our church is well established, with a large and 
influential membership. You have very many warm 
friends and an extensive practice among my people. 
We cheerfully immerse all who prefer that mode of 
baptism. Why not find a home with us, when it Avill 
be so greatly to your advantage to do so V" 

'' I had not thought of the matter from the point of 
view you mention. My sole desire is to do the will of 
God; but for many reasons I could not become a 
member of your church : (1) It was not founded by 
Christ or his Apostles. (2) They made no provision 
for its existence, or laws for its government. (3) They 
gave us no instruction in regard to the steps to be 
taken to become a member of it. which they certainly 
would have done if they had contemplated its exist- 
ence. (4) Your church is not mentioned in the Word 
of God, and of course there is no evidence that God 
desires any one to become a member of it. (5) Your 
church would require me to indorse a creed, which 
may contain some errors. (6) I am unwilling to sep- 
arate myself from other Christians by taking upon 
myself a party name. It is the will of Christ, and 
clearly necessary to the salvation of the world, that 
all his followers should be one, and I am unwilling to 
become a partisan in religion." 

"' I perceive that you are already a partisan, and of 
the straiglitest sect of the Campbellites." 

The door by which good Brother Togg made his 
exit from the doctor's office was not in the habit of 



70 OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

slamming, but for some unexplainable reason it 
closed that morning with a loud, sharp, vicious bang. 

Mrs. Bright was immersed with her husband. El- 
der Sterling had baptized one entire household ha 
Chicory, yet he had never baptized an infant ! 

When seated at the dinner table that day, Honore 
involuntarily lowered her head, and the doctor, after 
a moment's hesitation, humbly and reverently gave 
thanks. A new spirit, heaven-bora, holy, tender and 
beautiful, came into the home of Dr. Bright, and as 
he went forth upon his daily visits to the sick and 
suffering, he carried with him not only remedies for 
diseased bodies, but a panacea for sin-sick souls. 



CHAPTER XY. 



POPFIZZLE ATTEISTDS THE UN^IOK MEETING— DREAMS 
AND VISIONS. 

Fro^i the time the Disciples of Chicory began to 
meet for worship, a new, and by far a more gentle 
spirit, had been gradually creeping into the heart of 
Popfizzle. He had entirely forsaken the corner store, 
and spent nearly all of his spare time at home, with 
his family. But he was still looked upon as a weak 
and erratic brother, needing encouragement, sympa- 
thy and prayer. He was faithful in his attendance 
upon the meetings at the hall, with the exception of 
one evening, when he attended the union meeting. 
'Not a very serious lapse, you say, simply to change 



Ot^R CAUSE AT CHICORY. 71 

place of worship for one evening. But he did not go 
there^^to worship, or be taught, or edified, or with any 
thought of being strengthened, or helped in any w^ay 
in the divine life. He w^ent out of curiosity, and with 
a deliberate purpose to criticise the proceedings. He 
found the house crowded with highly excited people. 
A tempest of song was sweeping through the room, 
and soon after being seated he felt, in spite of him- 
self, a magnetic influence, emanating from the highly 
charged multitude about him, stealing over him. 
Most people would have thought it the influence of 
the Holy Ghost, but Popfizzle stubbornly battled 
against it, and resolved to be a cool and impartial 
spectator of the proceedings. After the singing, a 
number of vehement prayers were offered. These 
prayers indicated that it was the sense of the meet- 
ing that the great and pressing need of the occasion 
was a baptism of the Holy Ghost and of fire. This 
baptism, although absolutely necessary to the con- 
version of souls, God seemed disposed to withhold 
from them, although he had bestowed it on previous 
occasions, and could have done so again without loss 
to himself. The theory of the worshipers, as Pop- 
fizzle understood it from the nature of the exercises, 
w^as that a persistent effort should be made to soften 
the heart of Deity and increase his willingness to 
save— convert— him, and w^hen this was accomplished 
he would in turn convert sinners. Several persons 
asked the Lord to send some new and untried arrow^ 
of conviction to the hearts of sinners, and others pre- 
ferred substantially the same request without insist- 
ing upon the use of an '' arrow," leaving the Lord to 
decide upon tlie ''new and untried'' means to be 



72 OtJK CAUSii: AT CHICORY, 

sought out for the conversion of sinners. To the 
cold, calculating, critical mind and faultfinding dis- 
position of Popfizzle, these petitions indicated that, 
in the conception of the worshipers, God had made a 
mistake in making the gospel his power unto salva- 
tion, and ought to rectify it as far as possible by ex- 
perimenting with hitherto ''untried" means, in the 
hope that he might hit upon some effectual expedient 
in time ! Of course my readers will see at once the 
glaring errors in his reasoning, and that his conclu- 
sions do not follow from the premises (?), but what 
w^ould you expect in the way of logic from a man who 
was educated before the mast, and at the corner 
store ? 

Rev. Stormer preached a stirring sermon upon the 
subject of faith, and alluded at some length to the 
conversion of Saul and the Philippian jailer. Saul 
was converted and pardoned when he w as knocked 
from his horse by the power of the Holy Ghost. The 
jailer was pardoned the moment he believed, and 
gave abundant proof of the genuineness of his con- 
version by having his children dedicated to the Lord 
in baptism. ''He that believeth, and so forth, shall 
be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned.'' 
Popfizzle had heard, or read, that in Oriental lands it 
was customary for people to fall upon their faces in 
the presence of superiors, and he w^ondered if there 
w^as any proof that Saul w^as "knocked dowai by the 
power of the Holy Ghost," or any other power. He 
also wondered how^ the preacher learned that Saul 
was riding a horse when he met the Savior, and what 
was done with the horse after his conversion ; for he 
remembered that they led him from the scene of that 



OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 73 

encounter by the hand. He had never seen any one 
led by the hand while on horseback ! He further 
thought that Saul had a pretty rough time of it for a 
pardoned man during the next three days. He con- 
cluded that the infants in the family of the jailer 
were very forward children, for he remembered that 
it is said in Luke's account of the matter, that they 
all believed. He had no recollection whatever of the 
passage : '' He that believeth, and so forth, shall be 
saved." You see, Popfizzle was an ignorant, fault- 
finding fellow, at best. When a rising vote was called 
for upon the question of the propriety of making an 
effort to get to heaven he stolidly kept his seat, and 
refused to vote either way. When the mourners'- 
bench exercises began he created a serious disturb- 
ance by telling one of the most sorely distressed 
seekers to arise and be baptized and wash away his 
sins, calling on the name of the Lord. This heretical 
teaching of course could not be tolerated in a union 
meeting of all the orthodox churches of the city, and 
he was sternly and very properly rebuked. Yet only 
a few moments afterward, hearing a seeker cry, 
"' What shall I do V" he answered it in this absurd 
fashion: ''Kepent and be baptized, every one of 
you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of 
your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy 
Spirit." For this interruption he was threatened 
with ejectment from the room, and narrowly escaped 
arrest. He really ought to have been arrested for 
disturbing the minds of those who were so earnestly 
seeking the salvation of their souls with quotations 
from the Galilean fisherman ! 
The '' experience meeting" w^as very interesting, 



74 OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

and highly enjoyed by all except the deeply prejudiced 
Popfizzle. Mrs. Ignis, formerly of Grossbug, related 
her wonderful experience to a Chicory audience for 
the first time. Some years before, while her husband 
w^as absent from home on a protracted business trip, 
she was taken very sick. Her physician, believing 
her recovery impossible, advised her to send at once 
for a spiritual adviser. The pastor of one of the or- 
thodox churches came and prayed with her, and she 
began at once to seek the salvation of her soul. Her 
two children, the only persons in the house except 
herself, occupied the bed with her that night, and she 
fell asleep while praying. About midnight she was 
awakened by a loud noise, which she at first thought 
was caused by one of the children falling out of bed, 
but she soon satisfied herself that both were sleeping 
sweetly by her side. Suddenly the room was flooded 
with light, and she saw the angels, with wings shining 
like burnished gold, carrying her soul up to heaven I 
''And there,'' said the lady, "the Lord first blessed 
my soul." In the morning she arose with a new 
heart within her, and a new song upon her lips. In 
her new found happiness, while fiitting about the 
kiichen preparing breakfast for herself and children, 
her feet scarcely seemed to touch the floor. After 
breakfast she took a pail and went out to the pasture 
to milk the cow, and while there a still small voice 
whispered to her to pray. She kneeled at the foot of 
an apple tree and prayed, and there the Lord first 
blessed her soul ! 

This interesting, novel, and entirely satisfactory 
experience was received with a clamor of approving 
ejaculations, but it was no sooner finished than the 



OXTIl CAtrSE AT CHICORY. 75 

jaundice-minded Popfizzle began mentally to criti- 
cise and pick flaws in it. He wondered that the lady 
in her supposed fatal illness was left without attend- 
ance ; that she recovered so suddenly, and that her 
soul could be " first blessed" twice ! I am reluctantly 
compelled to admit, notwithstanding the evident im- 




ELBER METAX. 



provement in the character and habits of Popfizzle, 
that he was yet, probably, an unregenerate man— a 
''natural man," who could not 'M^eceive the things 
of the Spirit," for here were things evidently per- 



76 OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

fectly understood and received by others, yet an 
inscrutable mystery to him ! 

When he went home from the meeting that night a 
huge door demon was crouching upon his threshold, 
but when he opened the door that silly wife of his, 
who had just returned from the hall meeting, met 
him and put up her mouth for a kiss, when the demon 
vanished, and the slight noise of the gently closing 
door was swallowed up by the louder sound of the 
hearty kiss. I begin to think that Popfizzle and his 
wife were both fools. Any one could see that their 
baby was rather an inferior specimen ; yet they were 
both proud of it, and the addle pated mother declared 
it w^as just like its pa ! And then, since the meetings 
began at Mrs. Trewart's house, they had grown into 
the habit of billing and cooing, just like young 
married people. So silly ! 



CHAPTER XVI. 



THE CREEB QUESTIOK— " WHAT MUST I DO TO BE 

SAVED?" 

The orthodox clergymen of Chicory studiously 
avoided Elder Sterling, and it became a subject of 
general remark, and was accounted for in various 
ways. Some said it was on account of the prevalence 
of small-pox at Bedrockville some ten years before; 
but others pronounced the theory utterly untenable, 
as every one must know that there could be no danger 



OUR CAtTSE AT CHICORY. 77 

of infection after so long a time. Others hinted that 
they were afraid of damaging results to themselves, 
if they ventured upon any controversy with him, but 
surely this could not be the reason, for every one of 
them had, so they said, gained repeated victories in 
discussion over opponents who held his views— abler 
men by far, too, than Elder Sterling. Others held 
that it grew out of their aversion to discussion in 
general. But then, how could that be, when in other 
States they had so often entered the polemic held, 
and come off with flying colors? And besides this, 
they gave continual evidence that they were not 
averse to discussion, by engaging in controversy 
more or less every day, and often employing them- 
selves till midnight in the same way, after the close 
of the evening meeting. It was noticed, and it has 
never been satisfactorily accounted for, that their 
opponents in these discussions almost invariably hap- 
pened to be either new converts of the BondsM-ell 
Hall meetings or persons who had given some evi- 
dence of their intention to become converts, and fur- 
ther, that they were usually women ! T confess my 
own inability to account for their careful avoidance 
of the Bedrockville preacher, but suggest (not dog- 
matically, mind you), that it mi^ht have been on ac- 
count of his (now don't laugh) offensive breath ! [ 
do not know, of course, that the Elder had a bad 
breath, but simply offer it as a possible solution of 
the difficulty. 1 now see that this hypothesis is 
faulty, too ; for an off^ensive breath would have been 
noticed by others as well as the orthodox preachers, 
and— I give it up. A historian ought not to be re- 
quired to account for all the facts he records, anv- 



78 OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

wa^^ and so 1 will make no other effort to explain or 
account for the fact that the orthodox preachers sys- 
tematically avoided Elder Sterling. 

In due time the '' Campbellite Creed" ordered by 
Eev. Proddem arrived. It proved to be '' The Chris- 
tian System/' written by A. Campbell. One chapter 
in this book, in w^hich the w^riter collates passages 
from the New^ Testament bearing upon the discipline 
or government of the church, and offers his own per- 
sonal view^s and suggestions, happens to beheaded: 
"The Christian Discipline." This heading the Eev. 
Proddem triumphantly exhibited, but was a little 
chary about allowing any one to examine the book. 
It came to be generally understood that a grand ex- 
pose of '' Campbellism" would take place at the union 
meeting on the evening of the day this book arrived. 
The house was crowded, and the seekers, and mourn- 
ers, and helpers were that night unusually demon- 
strative, but when Eev. Proddem took the stand, 
book in hand, as the signal for the beginning of the 
expose of the horrors of " Campbellism," every groan, 
and wail, and screech, and cry, and sigh, and grunt, 
and holy laugh, suddenly ceased ! As these m^anifes- 
tations w^ere w^holly involuntary, owing to uncon- 
trollable emotion, and the irresistible operation of 
the Holy Spirit, this was certainly a remarkable effect 
of such an apparently inadequate and trivial cause as 
a man mounting the rostrum with a book in his hand ! 
This time I insist upon being allowed simply to re- 
cord the fact, without making any effort to account 
for the phenomena. I am so heartily ashamed of my 
effort to explain the conduct of the orthodox clergy- 
men toward Elder Sterling that I do not wish further 



OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

to expose myself to ridicule. The supreme moment 
arrived. I have stood by the dread scaffold where 
unpitying justice claimed its victims ; gazed upon 
the cowering, nerveless, shivering, death-doomed, 
shrinking form, standing upon the treacherous drop, 
and waited, w^aited, waited! till my blood seemed 




THE REVEREND EGO PRODDEM. 

frozen in my veins, and my temples bursting with the 
agony of expectation ! Such a moment was this ! 

'' It is generally known,'' said Rev. Proddem, " that 
Alexander Campbell, about fifty years ago, founded 
a new religious sect, built upon the single dogma of 



80 OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

baptismal regeneration. This sect is now holding 
meetings in our city. Its leaders and members, here 
and elsewhere, claim to be governed by the Bible 
alone, and repudiate and denounce all human creeds 
and confessions of faith. Yet T hold in my hand 
their Book of Discipline ! It is written by the foun- 
der of the sect. At some future time you shall be 
made fully acquainted with its contents, but at pres- 
ent I will only read the title upon the page before me : 
' The Christian Disciplike ! P ^' 

The drop had fallen, and the writhing form of 
" Campbellism" hung in mid air I At the close of the 
services many pressed forward to see at shorter 
range, and possibly to handle, with gloves. Pandora's 
box in the form of a book! Old Deacon Best, a 
prominent member of Eev. Fogg's church, finally be= 
came the purchaser of the volume on exhibition, as 
Bev. Proddem had ordered five copies of the w^ork. 
The deacon sat up late that night to examine his pur- 
chase. As he read page after page, curiosity gave 
place to interest, and he began to turn to the family 
Bible to verify the quotations found in the '' creed." 
The lights vanished one by one from the windows, 
the streets were deserted and silent, the noisy old 
clock, in loud and distinct tones, twelve times ad- 
monished the deacon to retire, but still he read on, 
and on ! Had the staid old deacon gone daft ? The 
next night— say no longer that there are only seven 
wonders in the w^oiid— he attended the meeting at 
BondswejFs Hall! The theme w^as, ''What shall I 
do to be saved T^ Elder Sterling read all the passages 
in the New Testament where the question is directly 
asked. He found that where the question was pro- 



OuB CAtJSE AT CHiCOHY. 81 

pounded in Mark x., IT, under the Old Testament 
law, it was answered in accordance with the require- 
ments of that law. When asked by an untaught, un- 
believing heathen {Acts xvi., 30), under the gospel 
dispensation, the inquirer was toid to believe in the 
Lord Jesus Christ. The multitude on the day of 
Pentecost, being already believers, were told to re- 
pent and be baptized, in the name of Jesus Christ, 
for the remission of sins (Acts ii., 38); while believ- 
ing, penitent, prayerful Saul was told to arise and be 
baptized and w^ash away his sins, calling on the name 
of the Lord (Acts xxii., 16). 

Add still another to the wonders of the world ! 
Deacon Best, trembling and tearful, came forward 
and extended his hand. Many of the singers broke 
down, and, clear and distinct and thrilling above the 
quavering, sobbing, halting strain of melody, arose 
the voice of Deacon Best, crying: ''Oh I blessed 
Jesus ! Son of Mary and of God, have mercy upon 
me, and accept the poor sacrifice of a broken heart 
and a contrite spirit!" Humbly as a child, and as 
though for the first time, he confessed his faith in 
Christ and demanded immediate baptism. An awe- 
struck group gathered at the river bank. Song and 
prayer floated away into the darkness. Lights 
gleamed upon the water, and the angels peeped past 
the stars to see what had caused such a commotion 
among the children of earth, just in time to see good 
Dea<3on Best buried in baptism. 

And now I am brought face to face with another 
insoluble problem. What became of the other four 
copies of the " Campbellite Creed V Many inquiries 
were made for them, but they could not be found ! 



82 OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

Perhaps a burglar— no, burglars are too wise to enter 
a preacher's house. Possibly a fire— but the only fire 
company of Chicory, a hook and ladder company, had 
not been called out in a year. Well, then, an earth- 
quake had swallowed— but there had been no earth- 
quake, and, and— I'll never try to account for 
anything again while I live. 



CHAPTEE Xyil. 



LAWYER STAROUT QUOTES SCRIPTURE — POPFIZZLE 
OVERHEARS A CONVERSATIOIST — A CHALLENGE. 

Lawyer Starout was a man of note in Chicory, 
His fame had extended to Mythville and Inahorn, 
and it was even said that he had been heard of in 
Grossbug I He had once been a candidate for the 
Legislature, and although he was defeated '' by an 
overwhelming majority," the fact of his nomination 
gave him considerable prestige. Plis reputation did 
not rest upon his legal lore, for he was frequently 
spoken of as "a fourth class lawyer," but principally 
upon his intense and bitter hostility to Christianity, 
He was an Agnostic of the most pronounced type, 
and when not professionally engaged spent most of 
his time in exposing the mistakes of Moses. He not 
only discredited all Bible history, but questioned its 
maxims, precepts, promises and statements of what- 
ever character. "Take, for example," said Starout, 
'' this passage : ' God tempers the wind to the shorn 
lamb.' -^ow go and shear your sheep and see if the 



OUH CAUSB AT CHICORY. 83 

weather will change. I guess not. Kow^ try another 
passage: 'Every generation growls w^eaker and 
wiser. ' Why, it's not true. The old armor preserved 
in the museums of Europe is far too small for the 
average man of to-day, showing that men are increas- 
ing in stature, and of course in strength. Take 
another passage: 'A short horse is soon curried.' 
Do w^e need inspiration to teach us what every host- 
ler know^s by actual experience?" 

I had intended all along to spare my readers an 
introduction to Starout, but his unclean hand touches 
our interests in Chicory in such a w^ay that I am al- 
most compelled to ask them to form his acquaintance. 
Eev. Creedman began to cultival^e Starout! One 
afternoon, a few days after the immersion of Deacon 
Best, he brought his wife's pony and phaeton around 
to the law^yer's office, and, to the astonishment of 
their acquaintances, the twain rode out in the 
country together I Had this strange thing occurred 
three weeks earlier it would no doubt have led to a 
mass meeting, and the adoption of appropriate reso- 
lutions, but so many wonderful things had happened 
that the popular greed for the marvelous had become 
well nigh glutted, and the good people of Chicory 
were growing into indifterence to the most impor- 
tant events. Perhaps Mrs. Creedman's phaeton w-as 
not intended to carry so much w^eight, or such an ill 
assorted couple ; at all events, some part of the light 
vehicle broke, and upon their return they stopped for 
repairs at a smithy on the outskirts of the tow^n. The 
disciple of Yulcan informed them that he could repair 
damages in a few^ minutes, and they concluded to 
wait. Of course Eev. Creedman w^as not afraid of 



84 OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

his wife (perish the base thought) ; but then — it was 
just as well to return her phaeton unbroken ! In the 
rear of the forge room, and separated from it by a 
loose partition of rough boards, was a shop for repair- 
ing or replacing the wooden parts of crippled vehicles, 
as none of the celebrated ''one horse shay" pattern 
had found their way into Squeazem county. And 
just here 1 want to w^arn my readers against carrying 
on a private conversation anywhere within ten feet 
of a loose partition. 

Popfizzle while a sailor had learned the use of tools 
by occasionally acting in the capacity of assistant 
ship carpenter, and vfhen he became a landsman he 
turned his knowledge to some account by becoming a 
repairer of wagons. If Eev. Creedman, w^hile lean- 
ing against the partition and conversing with Law- 
yer Starout, had taken the trouble to look through 
one of the yawning cracks he would have seen the 
meddlesome Popfizzle, engaged in earning an honest 
living for himself and ''Sis" and the children, and 
saved himself a world of trouble and vexation of 
spirit. " Hear the conversation ?" Why, to be sure. 
Popfizzle could be depended on to hear anything and 
everything. Hear I But then you don't know Pop- 
fizzle. 

" You see, Mr. Starout," said Eev. Creedman, "you 
cannot possibly lose anything in this matter. It will 
give you the reputation you most desire, and furnish 
you a fine opportunity to get your views before the 
people. It will give you prestige and practice, no 
doubt, in your profession." 

"But I can hardly understand," said Starout, "how 



OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 85 

you can, as you say, aid me in such a matter. I 
must necessarily oppose your views as well as his." 

" Let my views take care of themselves. Of course 
I must not be known in the affair, but I can aid you 
by damaging and weakening your opponent." 

"But it seems to me you can best accomplish the 
objects you say you have in view by meeting him 
yourself, and showing the people that his teaching 
is not according to your, so called, sacred book." 

''I would not hesitate to do so at a proper time, 
and under different circumstances, but it is not the 
wish of my church that I engage in a public discus- 
sion at this time." 

'' But you and other preachers have been teaching 
the people the contents of your sacred books for 
years, before this man came here, and if you have 
taught them correctly, how is it that they are taking 
up with this new doctrine ? I hear they have 
captured old Deacon Best, a leading member of 
Eogg's church." 

"1 do not think, Mr. Starout, that you understand 
the state of the case. There are many passages in 
the ]S'ew Testament that, if taken literally, favor 
their views, but these passages really have only a 
spiritual meaning. It is by insisting upon the literal 
meaning that they are able to mislead the people." 

"Being only a lawyer, and an infidel, I am not sup- 
posed to know anything of hidden, spiritual inter- 
pretations, and if the Bible was a law book I should 
probably insist upon a literal, common sense inter- 
pretation. I am curious to know what some of these 
passages are. Give me an example, only one, upon 
which to base an opinion of your case." 



86 OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

'' Well, you know they insist upon immersion, and 
they affirm that such expressions as 'buried by bap- 
tism' and 'buried in baptism' refer to the mode of 
baptism." 

"And what do you understand these passages to 
refer to?" 

" They refer to our burial in a profession of death 
to sin," 

"Let me see. Buried in a prof ession of— why do 
not the passages, as you quote them, indicate the 
manner of burial—' burial by baptism' ?" 

" Ah I Mr. Starout, I fear you will never be able to 
discern spiritual things." 

" Perhaps not. I never could see any sense in your 
theories, or the book which you claim teaches them.'^ 

" Well, what do you say to my proposition ?" 

"I hardly know what to say. From what you 
have told me, I fear this new preacher would prove a 
formidable opponent." 

"Have no fear on that score. I am assured that 
he is a man of but little natural ability, only a smat- 
tering of learning, and almost wholly unacquainted 
with history." 

"I don't know about that. Doctor Bright and 
some others v/ho have joined that church are among 
our most intelligent and best educated men. Did 
the other preachers of Chicory know that you were 
to make this proposition to me ?" 

" ^0. I thought it best to act alone in this delicate 
matter. While I am conscious of the purity of my 
motives, and sincerely believe that 1 am acting for 
the best interests of true religion, I thought it pos- 
sible that some of my brethren in the ministry 



OtTR CAt^SE AT CHICORY. 87 

migbt either question my motiyes or the propriety of 
the proposed measure." 

" Very well. I will do as you suggest, and if you 
can take the word of an infidel, you may rest assured 
that 3^our secret shall be faithfully kept.'^ 

"Kept!" They moved away from the partition. 
The son of Vulcan had finished his task. Popfizzle 
laughed, laughed long and loud. "Kept!" Every 
man, woman and child in Chicory should be able to 
repeat every word of that conversation before night- 
fall. ''Kept!" The very winds should whisper it, 
dogs bark it and roosters crow it. Kept, indeed I 

When a challenge from the Agnostic lawyer was 
laid upon the stand that night it created no surprise. 
Elder Sterling read it to the audience, and simply 
declined to meet the doughty attorney. 

" Tell you what. Sis," said Popfizzle to his wife that 
night, '' Creedman's goose is cooked." 

"Don't talk slang. Pop, dear. I am afraid it's 
wicked." 

"Why. is there any harm in talking about cooking 
geese ?" 

*'I don't know, I'm sure, I'm sorry for Creedman; 
poor man!" 

There wasn^t a bigger goose in the world than 
Popfizzle's wife. 



8S OUH CAUSE AT CHICORT, 



CHAPTEB XYIII. 

ILLNESS OF GRACE TREIV ART— ABOUT WOMAIST IIST 
GENERAL ANI> PARTICULAR— THE CASE OF MRS. 
CURTIS. 

From a work basket, filled with an apparently infi- 
nite variety of odds and ends and bits of things all 
jumbled together in a confused mass, I have seen a 
lady weaving, with deft fingers, mats, rugs, tidies and 
other feminine necessities, of beautiful and tasteful 
fashion. So would I, if I possessed the skill, gather 
up in this chapter the odds and ends and broken 
threads of history lying all about me, and weave them 
into both warp and woof of this veritable narrative. 
There are facts in plenty, and incidents too, but the 
trouble is to weave them together in readable fashion. 

It was rather a doubtful compliment to call Grace 
Trewart an angel, although many did so. Angels, as 
I understand it, are messengers— the pages of the 
grand court of Heaven— but Grace, you see, was a 
child of the Great King himself. And many believed 
that she was standing quite near the great golden 
gates of her Father's palace. When a beautiful, win- 
some little child, some one had said that when she 
grew up she would cause many hearts to ache, mean- 
ing that she would have many admirers. The proph- 
ecy was already fulfilled, though not in the sense in- 
tended by the prophet, and she was not yet twelve 
years of age. Yes, hearts ached on her account — and 
a mother's heart most of all. She had been slowly 



OUR CAUSE AT CHIGOE, Y. 89 

but surely falling for many months, and those who 
gazed into the depths of her sinless eyes imagined 
that they caught glimpses of the flashing river of 
life, and heard words not lawful to be uttered. The 
doctors suggested a trip to Plorida, but the mother 
knew that in the Florida to which Grace was jour- 
neying no leviathans would sport in the rivers, or 
acid fruits ripen on their banks. Each day the angel 
artists touched her spiritual face with some new 
beauty caught from models reposing beneath the 
shade of the tree of Life, and each day the dreamy, 
tender, far away look deepened in the wistful eyes. 
This transformation, as I have stated, had been going 
on for many months, but '^orthodox" eyes saw it for 
the first time after she was baptised! It Vv^as useless 
for Dr. Bright to say that he had been treating her 
for a year past, and with but little hope of success. 
Was he not leagued with the immersionists ? It was 
perfectly clear to the '' orthodox" mind that her fail- 
ing health dated from the hour of her immersion, 
and she was constantly referred to as an example of 
the danger of dipping ! She attended the meetings 
regularly, and, under the advice of her physician, ex- 
ercised daily in the open air. She very often visited 
the humble residence of Popfizzle, never forgetting to 
take some pleasing present to the children, w^ho al- 
most worshiped her. Popfizzle and his wife were her 
bond slaves, but no slaves ever had a more lenient 
and gentle mistress. But I never could understand 
how Grace, with her refined v;ays, could endure the 
whims of the uncultured Mrs. Popfizzle, or tolerate 
that pug-nosed baby ! But then, I find that I am not 
good at explaining things, and will try to stick to his- 



90 OUR CAtJSE AT CHICOHY. 

tory. Ko forlorn hope can be more desperate than to 
attempt to account for the tastes, peculiarities and 
whims of the whole feminine persuasion, young and 
old. 

Kow, to illustrate : there was Mary Stanup, a good, 
sweet-tempered Christian girl, who took a fancy to 
walk home from the meeting almost every night, 
nearly two miles distant, when her father was going 
with a team, and one seat vacant ! Upon what pos- 
sible hypothesis can we account for such an idiosyn- 
crasy. ^'Afraid the horses would run away," say 
you? Ridiculous! They were steady old farm 
horses. Small wonder that Bill Goldsteel, who had 
obeyed the gospel during the meeting (one of the 
best young men in Squeazem county), shov/ed his pity 
for her infirmity (it could have been nothing else) by 
always walking home with her, although, of course, 
he much preferred to ride. It was not so much out 
of his way, to be sure, as the Goldsteel and Stanup 
homesteads were not far apart, but then it showed 
his natural kindness of heart. I cannot say posi* 
tively, of course, that he v>^ould have made the same 
sacrifice for every one, but they had been brought up 
together. 

And while writing of women, I may just as well 
mention two others, married women, who confessed 
Christ at the hall meeting, and whose husbands re- 
f ifsed to allow them to be baptized— not a very un- 
common occurrence One of these, Mrs. Curtis (her 
husband was always called Curt, for short), a quiet, 
gentle, yielcMng spirit, the slave of her husband and 
children, astonished every one by insisting on her 
right to act in the matter in hand wholly for herself. 



OUR CAtJSE AT CHIGORY. 91 

without reference to her husband's wishes. Curt 
commanded, coaxed, tlireatened and ridiculed • by 
turns, but the hitherto pliant and entirely submissive 
wife remained firm in her determination to be bap- 
tized. It was her first act of rebellion, and he was at 
a loss to know how to meet the emergency, but finally, 
directed by some subtle instinct, or intuition, he 
sought an interview with Eev. Creedman. The na- 
ture of that interview will probably never be made 
public, but Curt returned armed with a text of Scrip- 
ture, ''Wives, obey your husbands,'' and insisted 
that in being baptized she W'Ould disobey both God 
and her husband. Mrs. Curtis expressed her willing- 
ness to obey him in all things that did not require her 
to disobey or disregard the law of the Lord, but his 
authority must end where the Divine law began. 
Before the time appointed for her immersion, every 
clergyman in the city had an interview vvith her hus- 
band. Kevs. Proddem, Spookhunter and Aldark ad- 
vised him to stand firm in his refusal to allow her to 
be baptized. Kev. Fogg was unwilling to advise in 
the matter until he was made more fully acquainted 
with the state of the case. 

" What are your reasons,'- he asked, ''for objecting 
to the immersion of your wife?" 

"Well, I object for at least three reasons," replied 
Curt. "In the first place, I do not wish my wife 
made a spectacle of by being immersed. In the 
second place, I am afraid she will take cold ; and the 
third and principal reason is, I do not wish her to 
become a member of the Campbellite Church." 

" The last reason you give is a very good one. Are 



92 OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

you acquainted with the teachings of that church?" 
"ISfo ; I know nothing about it, and care less." 
'' Would you object to her becoming a member of 
my church, or some other orthodox body of Chris- 
tians?" 

'' I would have no objections w^hatever, if she could 
be baptized by sprinkling." 

'' I think the case can be easily managed, so far as 
youi-- principal objection is concerned, but I advise 
you to withdraw your minor ones, and allow her to 
be immersed upon condition that she unite with my 
church. There is really no objection to immersion 
on the grounds you mention. I have often adminis- 
tered the ordinance in that way. From what I have 
learned of your wife's views and feelings in this case, 
I am convinced that you will not be able to change 
her views of the mode of baptism, or her determina- 
tion to be baptized, and the best way out of your dif- 
ficulty is to make the compromise I have suggested. 
I w^ill administer the ordinance, if she is willing, and 
if not, she can be baptized by the Campbellite 
preacher, and then unite with my church." 

Curt reluctantly gave his consent to the proposed 
compromise, provided his wife was willing, of which 
he entertained some doubt. Eev. Fogg undertook to 
gain her consent. He represented to the lady that by 
uniting with his church she w^ould not only gain her 
husband's consent to her immersion, but in all prob- 
ability be the means of saving him ; while if she per- 
sisted in her determination to unite with the Camp- 
bellifces, it would, to say the least, make their relations 
very unpleasant, and drive him entirely away from 
Christian influences. 



OUR CAUSE AT CHICOIl"y. 93 

Mrs. Curtis professed a deep interest in the spirit- 
ual welfare of her husband, but did not believe she 
could influence him to do right by doing what he 
knew she believed to be wrong, and adhered, in every 
particular, to her original determination. 

Curt then threatened to shoot the preacher if he 
baptized his wife, but when the time for the immer- 
sion arrived he was not at all dangerous, and a few 
days later he followed his v/if e into the Kingdom of 
Christ ! 

Mr. Tox professed himself quite willing that his 
wife should be immersed at some future time, when 
the vreather was warmer, and finally succeeded in 
persuading her to defer it till spring. He then offered 
to accompany her if she would attend the union 
meetings, and as he had utterly refused to attend the 
hall meeting, she consented, hoping his mind would 
be turned into religious channels, even by perversions 
of God's plan of saving men. At the union meet- 
ings, social influences, arguments, ridicule and en- 
treaties were brought to bear upon her, until finally 
she gave way and was sprinkled upon, and became a 
member of Eev. Creedman's church. 

Mr. Fox never became a member of any churchy 
and many remarked that his wife became a sad, 
dissatisfied, weary looking woman. 



94 OUR CAUSJS AT CHICORY. 



CHAPTER XTX. 

ELDER 3HETAX VISITS CHICORY— HE HAS A MISSION. 

The Prevaricator called it a "revival meeting," and 
it was one of the objects had in view to revive the 
waning interest of the brethren, but the chief object 
was not to revive, but to convert. How" he heard of 
the meeting I never knew. Perhaps he came across 
a stray copy of the Prevaricator^, or possibly some of 
the metropolitan journals of Grossbug noticed it in a 
three line local, or some correspondent at Chicory or 
Mythville mentioned it. Ko one invited him, and he 
had no acquaintance there except Popfizzle, and it 
could have been nothing but a strong conviction of 
duty that led Elder Metax to attend the meeting in 
progress at Chicory. He w^as at that time living on a 
small farm near Grossbug, and preaching more or 
less at various points in the vicinity. He was a man 
of fair reputation and considerable ability, both nat- 
ural and acquired— wtII liked by his neighbors as a 
citizen, but hated and feared as a religious contro- 
versialist. He had held several successful protracted 
meetings, some of them in notoriously godless and 
unpromising places, and turned quite a large number 
to the Lord. He was one of a peculiar class of breth- 
ren that I have always w^anted to love, if they would 
only let me. In some respects he w^as not in sympa- 
thy with a majority of his brethren in the ministry. 
He w^as rarely present at any of the general gather- 



OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 95 

ings of the brotherhood, and preferred to work alone. 
And while I cheerf ull}^ and gladly recognize his many 
excellent qualities, and the value of his services to 
the cause of truth and righteousness, I am compelled 
to notice one grievous fault, or weakness. He spoke 
disparagingly of almost evepy preacher in our ranks. 
Time and again, w^hen in his company, I have men- 
tioned, one after another, the grand heroes of faith 
w^ho w^ere doing battle against the hosts of sin, only 
to find my idols broken, or sadly marred by his 
''buts" and ''ifs," or at best ''damned with faint 
praise." Oh! ye workers together with God for the 
salvation of a perishing v/orld, speak leniently and 
lovingly one of another. Add not a feather's weight 
to your brother's burden, neither soil his robe of 
righteousness by breathing upon it a doubt of his 
integrity. And now, how can I speak of Bro. Metax, 
or record the facts that belong to this veritable his- 
tory, without violating my injunction to others ? 

He had a mission, a duty to perform, at Chicory. 
He had learned that a musical instrument, a mere 
senseless piece of furniture, without heart or soul, 
had been placed in the church at Bedrockville, the 
home of Elder Sterling, with which to worship God, 
and he felt it to be his duty to warn the brethren at 
Chicory against this dangerous departure from prim- 
itive methods. Doubtless Elder Sterling had already 
preached several sermons in favor of instrumental 
music in the w^orship, and possibly the instrument 
had already been forced upon protesting brethren. 
It is said, and truly, too, that it requires a creed to 
be added to the Bible to make sectarians, and I have 
noticed that it is only where a religious journal is 



96 OVU CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

added to the Bible that dogmatic opposition to the 
use of instruments is found. Those who are guided 
by the Bible alone have no prejudice and but little 
interest in the matter. Elder Metax had also heard 
that the work in Chicory was in part sustained by a 
missionary society, a mere human institution, en- 
tirely unauthorized by the word of God. And to 
make the matter worse, said society had (oh ! horror) 
a fat secretary! I know it is hard to believe that 
men professing to be Christians should descend to 
such depths of depravity as deliberately and with 
malice aforethought to band themselves together and 
pay out their money for the purpose of preaching the 
gospel in such places as Chicory, but such was the 
lamentable fact 1 And then to add, if possible, to 
their infamy by the appointment of a fat secretary I 
Now, in the names of all the pagan deities at once, if 
we must have a secretary, why not have a lean one ? 
Elder Metax had also been informed that the women 
of Chicory prayed in the prayer meetings, without 
let or hindrance, when his Bible required them to be 
silent in the churches. Surely these alarming de- 
partures from primitive methods fully vv^arranted his 
visit to Chicory. Popfizzle greeted him rapturously, 
and took him at once to his house, where he was 
warmly welcomed by Sis and the children. He was 
astonished to learn that Popfizzle had not, to the 
best of his recollection, once heard or thought of a 
musical instrument of any kind since the meetings 
began. He did not know that Elder Sterling received 
a partial support from the missionary society, and 
was so dull that he could not be made to understand 
the deep depravity of the men who were taxing them- 



OTJR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 97 

selves for his support, or how his connection with 
the society affected his preaching, which he thought 
sound, though hardly radical enough to suit his 
views. And the stupid fellow was unable to see how 
it could possibly be wrong for women to pray. He 
bad been more deeply affected and influenced by Mrs. 
Trewart^s prayers than Elder Sterling's sermons, 
and he attributed the success of the meeting largely 
to the prayer meetings held at Mrs. Trewart's house 
before Elder Sterling arrived. 

Elder Sterling loved his brethren, and he was truly 
glad to meet Bro. Metax at the meeting that night, 
although, knowing his peculiarities, he was a little 
apprehensive of the results of his visit to Chicory at 
this time. In proof of his claim to be a real Simon 
Pure missionary man, Elder Metax had brought with 
him, for gratuitous distribution, sample numbers of 
his favorite religious journal. From this journal the 
new converts learned for the first time that they had 
united with a worldly, progressive and corrupt fac- 
tion, instead of the church of the Xew Testament, as 
they had supposed. One of these papers fell into the 
bands of the Eev. Proddem, who took it to the union 
meeting, and publicly read some choice extracts to 
his deeply interested and highly gratified brethren, 
as proof positive of the utter impracticability of a 
union upon the Bible alone. '' The state of the case,'' 
said Bev. Proddem, "judging from the paper before 
me, seems to be this : A portion of the church still 
adheres to the creed made by Alexander Campbell, 
the founder of the sect, while another wing of the 
watery host, which it seems are called ' progressiv- 
ists,' exhibit certain orthodox tendencies, and a divi- 



98^ OtJR CAUSJ5 AT CHiaORY. 

sion of the body, sooner or later, is inevitable Ul It 
must be confessed that our cause at Chicory had re- 
ceived one telling blow at the hands of Eev. Prod- 
dem. Up to this time every weapon employed by the 
enemy had proved a veritable boomerang in hi& 
hands, but here was apparent testimony from the^ 
Disciples themselves that their boasted plea for 
union upon the Bible alone was a wretched failure; 
that the body was full of festering sores, and disinte^ 
gration only a question of time I 

In response to a general demand. Elder Sterling^ 
felt compelled to explain the matter to the public, a& 
best he could. The Disciples were a unit in all mat- 
ters of faith, but a few extremists and alarmists had 
simply given undue prominence to certain matters of 
opinion. Ever since the formation of our Govern- 
ment every generation has furnished its quota of 
political Cassandras, who have predicted the utter 
overthrow of our republican institutions unless cer- 
tain pet whims and caprices received due attention,, 
but the great heart of the Kepubiic is sound and 
loyal to our present form of government. We have a 
fev/ religious Cassandras, but their ominous and ap-- 
parentiy alarming utterances excite no apprehension 
whatever in the minds of those who know all the- 
facts in the case. There is not the slightest danger, 
or even a possibility, of division in our ranks. 

Elder Met ax remained at Chicory only two days,- 
but during his stay he discharged what he doubtl ss^ 
understood to be his duty faithfully, warning the- 
unsuspecting brethren against the dangers that beset> 
them from musical instruments and missionary soci- 
eties with fat secretaries. The night after he left. 



OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 99 

Popfizzle k)ld his wife that he believed the Elder had 
become just a little cranky. How in the world did 
we ever manage to express ourselves before the word 
''crank" was coined? The world has been full of 
cranks for ages, but until quite lately no one knew 
what to call them. What a pity that the Greeks, 
when they passed the tub of Diogenes, were denied 
the opportunity of calling the old man a ''crank"! 
I have often admired Shakespeare's delineation of 
the character of Timon of Athens, but I now see 
that it lacks the felicitous word "crank." Byron 
sorely needed it when writing "English Bards and 
Scotch Eeviewers," an* Hudibras lacks nothing but 
the word "crank" to make it perfection. Be it re- 
membered, the crank is always some other fellow; 
we are never cranks. 



CHAPTER XX. 



TIMOTHY TODLEM— A SCH:e:ME THAT FAILED OF ITS 

OBJECT. 

An old file of the Prevaricator shows that when he 
was married, some eight years before, he was "Tim- 
othy Todlem, Esq.," but soon after he began to 
drink he became "Tim," and now he was only 
" Tod," a hopeless sot. The following extracts from 
the Prevaricator furnish a brief but very suggestive 
history of Tod's career : 



100 OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

"MARRmD— At the Palais Koyal Hotel, in Gross- 
bug, Sept. 26, by the Eev. De Orsay Chesterfield, 
Timothy Todlem, Esq., and Miss Tottie Toosoon, 
both of this city. Mr. Todlem has been a resident of 
this city about one jear, actively and successfully 
engaged in the real estate, insurance and loan busi- 
ness. He is well and favorably known as one of our 
most intelligent and enterprising young business 
men. Miss Toosoon is a graduate of the Grossbug 
JS'ormal School, and one of our most popular young 
ladies. The Prevaricator joins with the entire com- 
munity in wishing them a happy and prosperous 
future." 

Two years later I find the following : 

''Timothy Todlem and several companions of con- 
vivial tendencies boarded the train for Grossbug last 
evening. They will probably paint the town red be- 
fore they return." 

Two years later : 

''Tim Todlem was before His Honor yesterday 
morning, charged with being drunk and disorderly. 
He w^as released upon payment of a nominal fine and 

costs." 

Three years later : 

"On Thursday last Tod succeeded in some way in 
obtaining a little more coffin varnish than usual, in 
consequence of which he was furnished lodgings in the 



OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 



101 



cooler. His wife procured his release in the morning 
and took him home. Tod is an incurable sot. His 
wife has repeatedly forbidden the saloon keepers to 
furnish him with liquor, but he manages to get it in 
some way known only to the initiated." 




TI3IOTHY T0DLE3I. 

This paragraph appeared about a year before our 
first meeting in Chicory, and I am unable to find any 
further mention of Tod in the Prevaricator, Editor 
Weathervane probably deemed him unworthy of 
further notice. And yet Tod might have been seen 
{in fact, was seen) every day during the meeting, by 
all who cared to look upon such a disgusting object, 
lounging in front of the Alhambra saloon. His wife 
supported herself and her two children by keeping 



102 OUIl CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

boarders, sevvdng, and occasionally taking in washing. 
Strangely enough, Tod began to frequent the office 
of Lawyer Starout ! Although the agnostic attorney 
had hitherto shown great aversion to his society, 
Popfizzle avers that on two different occasions, when 
passing the Alhambra, he had heard him invite Tod 
into his office ! E,ev. Creedman was also a frequent 
caller, presumably to try to convert Starout from the 
error of his way, and it was possibly due to his influ- 
ence that the agnostic lawyer one evening attended 
the hall meeting, But how did it happen that Tod, 
poor drunken Tod, attended the meeting the same 
night? i^either the Eev. Creedman nor any other 
reverend had been known to speak to Tod for a year. 
And yet Tod was really there. And those who had 
seen him a hundred times sitting in front of the 
Alhambra rubbed their eyes and looked at him a sec- 
ond time. Yes, it was Tod, sure enough; but what 
did it mean? He was, as usual, stupidly drunk. 
When the invitation was given he staggered to the 
front and extended his hand. Elder Sterling took 
his proffered hand, gently seated him, spoke a few^ 
words to him in a low voice, and took no further 
notice of the matter. It was generally looked upon 
as a freak of an irresponsible, maudlin drunkard, but 
of course it provoked comment, and some regarded 
it as a reproach to the cause in Chicory. Starout 
looked upon it as a colossal joke, and it afterward 
appeared that he had invited several of Ms friends to 
be present that evening, assuring them there would 
be some racy developments. But the strangest thing 
connected with Tod's exploit was that the Rev. 
Creedman should hear of it so soon — in fact, before it 



OTJK CAUSE AT CHICORY. 103 

"happened! The union meeting closed that night a 
few minutes before Tod came forward in response to 
the invitation given at the hall, yet directly the 
meeting closed Eev. Creedman related the story to 
his friends ! Was he a prophet? How else could he 
know that Tod came forward at the hall meeting, ten 
or fifteen minutes before he actually did come ? All 
of the clergymen of Chicory were ''called and sent," 
and all claimed to act under the special guidance of 
the Holy Spirit. In their respective houses of wor- 
ship they were ''called" to preach their denomina- 
tional peculiarities, but in the union meeting they 
were "called"— not to preach them! Some were 
"called" to preach "free grace" and others "election 
and predestination"; some to preach infant baptism 
and others to preach against it ! What a muddle ! I 
never realized the difficulties in the way of the histo- 
rian until I began to pen these sketches. There are 
so many unexplainable things, so many problems 
that T am compelled to leave unsolved. It was a 
very mild attack of cacoethes scribendi, the slightest 
possible irritation of the mental cuticle, that led me 
to enter upon the task of writing these chronicles of 
our cause at Chicory, and might have been success- 
fully resisted in the beginning, but it is now too late. 
I will give my readers a choice between two theories 
explanatory of Eev. Creedman's foreknowledge of 
Tod's action at the hall meeting. One of these three 
theories has already been hinted at. Eev. Creedman 
claimed at least partial inspiration, and was able to 
predict the event about to transpire at the hall. The 
other, advanced by Popfizzle, was that he (Creedman) 
had a previous understanding of the matter, through 



104 OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

Starout. He even went so far as to express the 
opinion that the whole affair was arranged by Kev. 
Creedman to bring our cause into disrepute, but Pop- 
fizzle was an ignorant, uncharitable, meddlesome 
fellow, and probably few, if any, will adopt his un- 
likely theory. 

The affair caused considerable merriment among 
the orthodox brethren, but the attendance at the 
hall on the following night was larger than ever. I^o 
doubt some came to laugh, and went away to pray. 



CHAPTEK XXI. 



RESULTS OF THE MEETIKG— THREE YEARS LATER — 
CONCLUSIGlSr AND FAREWELL. 

These sketches were commenced without premed- 
itation, and with no thought of continuing them 
beyond the limits of two or three short articles. It 
was easy to begin, easy to continue, but to stop! ah, 
there's the rub ! After fully five minutes of profound 
reflection upon the situation of affairs at Chicory, I 
have decided that I cannot better describe the prog- 
ress of events than to copy a notice of the meetings 
from the Prevaricator. Editors dash off these locals 
with such ease and grace that I cannot help envying- 
them. The following from the pen of Editor Weath- 
ervane is much better than any production of mine : 

''Two great revival meetings have been in progress 



OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 105 

in our city during the last four weeks. One is held 
at BondswelFs Hall, in the interest of the religious 
body known as Christians, or Disciples ; the other is 
a union meeting of the various denominations of the 
city, at the Bev. Creedman's church. Eev. Stormer 
is the chief speaker at the union meetings, and Eev. 
Sterling, of Bedrockville, is conducting the services 
at the hall. Both are widely known as able and elo- 
quent divines. Great interest is manifested at both 
meetings. At the hall meeting sixty-two persons 
have professed conversion and been baptized by im- 
mersion. We learn from Dr. Bright, one of the con- 
verts, that a church of seventy-four members was 
organized on last Sabbath afternoon. Although we 
have had several representatives of this religious body 
among us for several years, but little was known con- 
cerning them before the commencement of these 
meetings. We have noticed that the Hon. James G. 
Blaine, in his matchless eulosry of our martyred 
President Garfield, who was a member of that denom- 
ination, refers to it as a branch of the great Baptist 
family. We understand that they have purchased a 
lot and will build a house of worship immediately. 
We are informed that the meetings will close to-mor- 
row night. The union meetings will be continued 
indefinitely. About thirty have professed conversion 
in these meetings, and the altar is nightly thronged 
with anxious seekers. Let the good work go on." 

'* Seems to me," said Popfizzle, after reading the 
above to his wife, ''that Editor Weathervane has 
changed his tune lately. But then, who can blame 



106 OUFv CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

him ? You see, Sis, it's simply a question of bread 
and butter with him. 

* Old Mother Hubbard 
She went to the cupboard 
To get her ' " 

'' Pop, dear, don't sing such silly stuff." 



Three years later Elder Sterling revisited Chicory. 
The city had grown wonderfully. The Kamtschatka 
and Patagonia Hailroad had been induced by a sub- 
stantial subsidy to diverge some thirty miles from its 
natural route in order to cross the S. & S. at Chicory. 
Evidences of thrift and prosperity appeared on every 
h and . The mortgages that covered n early everything 
in sight, except the skies, were happily invisible. 
The Elder could hardly find his w^ay to his old quar- 
ters at Bro. Trewart's. On Sunday he preached 
morning and night in the house of worship which had 
been completed within tbree months from the close 
of our first meeting in Chicory. The architect and 
builder was Take ]S'otice Street, a lineal descendant 
of a prominent member of Cromwell's famous Par- 
liament. In common with many others who were 
held responsible for the execution of King Charles, 
he fled from England when the Royalists came into 
power, finding a refuge in the wilds of IS'orth Amer- 
ica. His descendants emigrated to Missouri, where 
Take ^N'otice was born and reared. His name is 
clearly indicative of the Cromwellian period, andw^as 
doubtless intended as a constant reminder of the 
straight and narrow^ way marked oat for Christians 
to walk in. He has become an able preacher and 



OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 107 

famous builder of churches, but still retains many of 
the quaint peculiarities of his historical ancestors. 

Elder Sterling was gratified to find the church in 
good working order. Elder Bibles, the pastor, whose 
services^ had be n secured through his agency, was 
loved and trusted by all. The elders were Brethren 
Goldsteel, Trewart and Bright; deacons, Stanup and 
Mum sword. 

Grace Trewart— sweet child of innocence, purity 
and love— my pen falters, and my eyes grow dim with 
tears. Grace sleeps. Dead, they said ; but she is not 
— slie cannot die. O child ! the prophecy is fulfilled, 
and thou hast indeed caused many hearts to ache ! 

Honore Bright is still unmarried, and it will be a 
daring and fortunate man, if any, who wins her. 
She is rapidly rising in her chosen profession, but 
finds time to give her best efforts to the cause of 
Christ. 

Mary Stanup no longer walks home from the meet- 
ings, but like a sensible woman rides with her hus- 
band. Strictly speaking, there is no Mary Stanup, 
but instead, Mrs. William Goldsteel. 

Popfizzle and his wife are still faithful, and their 
children are among the brightest and best scholars in 
the Sunday-school. Popfizzle is still rather a weak 
brother, but the brethren love him and bear with him. 
His wife is as foolish as ever. 

Midas Benedict, Mrs. Floratop and Miss Standwell 
have united with Kev. Creedman's church. At the 
close of Elder Sterling's meeting Mr. Benedict ex- 
pressed an intention to unite with the church, pro- 
vided the right preacher was employed, and gave it 
as his opinion that his wife would accompany him if 



108 OUR CAUSE AT CHICORY. 

Elder Panada could be employed as pastor. But 
there was hardly time to call Elder Pauada, even if 
the congregation had been disposed to do so, before 
the religious papers announced that he had united 
with the Episcopalian church, and was on the way to 
'' orders" in that patrician body. 

Revs. Creedman, Fogg, Spookhunter, Aldark and 
Proddem have all gone to other fields of labor, but 
their places are filled by men who preach the same 
good old orthodox evangelical doctrines, without the 
slightest change or modification. 

I seek out the grave of Grace Trewart, sister, child 
and friend in one, and moisten the little flower- 
decked mound with tears. 

And now, dear brethren, let me press your hands 
once more— I hear the shriek of the coming train. 
Farewell. 




THE LITTLE CHURCH IN THE GROVE AT CHICORY. 



THE CHRISTIAN ORACLE, 

A WEEKLY RELIGIOUS NEWSPAPER, 

Representing' the Christian Church in the North- 
western States. 



PUBLISHED BY THE ORACLE PUBLISHING COMPANY 

DES MOINES, IOWA. 

D. R.. LXJO^S, Editor. 

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Clubs of five, and under ten, to same office, per 

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THE CONVERSION OF 

PAUL DARST, 



-OR— 



A Conflict Between Loye M Infidelity. 



By D. E. LUCAS. 



It would be well if every one who doubts would 
read the conversion of Paul Darst and the bewilder- 
ment of the churches he escaped xby an earnest search 
for the truth, unadulterated by human creeds and 

isms.— Cliristian Messenger (Oregon). 

How all the faithful in Bethel found a common 
basis on which to unite, and came together in the 
unity of the faith, is very interestingly and convin- 
cingly told, and points out the road to Christian 
Union very clearly. — The Christian. 

It can be read with profit as well as with great in- 
terest by a large class that would not undertake to 
read a theological discussion or a logical disquisition, 
and yet they will be guided to the same conclusion to 
which the mere logician would seek in vain to lead 
them. — Christian Standard. 

^^^ Sent by mail, postpaid, on receipt of One Dollar. 
Address CHRISTIAN ORACLE, Des Moines, Iowa* 



